North can solve Nigeria’s problems – Peter Obi to Atiku, Northern leaders

The former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said Nigeria’s problems can be solved from the North.

Addressing a cross-section of Northern Nigerian leaders under the umbrella of the National Political Consultative Group, Obi said that “Northern Nigeria is the future asset of the country.”

The LP standard bearer told the Northerners, which included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, that the issue of crimes and insecurity in the North is a consequence of poverty.

He said that the region must invest in education because it’s the easiest way to tackle poverty.

According to Obi, “The North has voted for religion and tribe in the past; this is the time to vote for something else, a time to consider competence and capacity.”

Recalling the strength of the North in the past, Obi said that as a banker, Kano was the place they came for cash, but today, all the industries in Kano are gone.

Obi also underscored the importance of trust among Nigerians to be able to tackle the myriad of problems away from ethnic and religious sentiments.

Drawing an inference from some successful agrarian nations like Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and others, the LP standard bearer, who spoke amid cheers from the gathering, said Northern Nigeria has more potential than all these countries but noted that what is lacking is good governance, good policies, and implementation.

Earlier, the immediate past Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, in a keynote speech at the gathering, bemoaned the security situation in the North and called for the need to create a platform to rescue the region.