The National Vice Chairman (South-East) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, has dismissed the claims made by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, during his exclusive interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, saying his inability to build and stabilise the political parties he belonged to raises serious questions about his capacity to lead Nigeria.
Reacting to Obi’s assertions that he is best positioned to unite and fix Nigeria, Arodiogbu argued that a politician who could not stabilise or build enduring structures in the parties he previously belonged to lacks the capacity to govern the country.
“Peter Obi failed to fix APGA, failed to strengthen the PDP and could not stabilise the Labour Party. If he could not build or consolidate the political institutions he belonged to, how does he expect Nigerians to believe he can fix a country as complex as Nigeria?” Arodiogbu said.
The APC chieftain pointed out that Obi left the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) after serving as Anambra State governor without consolidating the party into a national force. He later joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), contested the 2019 presidential primary under its platform, and subsequently exited. In 2022, Obi moved to the Labour Party, where he ran for president in 2023, only to leave the party later amid internal crises.
The APC chieftain contrasted Obi’s political trajectory with that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as “a builder of institutions, a mentor of leaders and a politician whose consistency over decades has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s democratic evolution.”
He maintained that Tinubu has consistently demonstrated the ability to nurture political structures, develop human capital and sustain alliances across the country.
“President Tinubu is known for building institutions and building men. Many governors, ministers, lawmakers and political leaders across party lines today passed through his mentorship. That is the hallmark of transformational leadership,” he stated.
“The task of leading Nigeria demands proven competence, resilience and consistency. President Tinubu has shown these qualities over the years, while Peter Obi has yet to demonstrate the institutional leadership required to govern a nation of over 200 million people,” he added.
Arodiogbu also dismissed what he described as Obi’s recurring criticism of the Tinubu administration, insisting that the current government has laid the foundation for long-term economic stability through difficult but necessary reforms.
He urged Nigerians to judge political leaders by their track records rather than rhetoric, stressing that nation-building requires consistency, courage and the capacity to build enduring institutions.
He further reiterated his call to Nigerians to remain supportive of the Tinubu administration’s ongoing reforms, expressing confidence that the policies being implemented would continue to deliver sustainable economic growth and national development to all Nigerians.
