“Peter Obi has pushed Igbos 20 years backwards from getting the presidency” — Maigari

A member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Legislators’ Forum, Kasimu Maigari, has claimed that the political activities of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi have negatively affected the South-East’s long-standing ambition to produce Nigeria’s president.

Maigari made the remarks on Monday during an interview on Arise Television, where he argued that Obi’s influence has not advanced the region’s political aspiration as expected.

According to him, rather than strengthening the South-East’s chances, Obi’s emergence and political structure have created what he described as a significant setback.

“Peter Obi has pushed Igbos 20 years backwards from getting the presidency. My worry is not if Peter Obi will win the presidency; my worry is that Peter Obi has pushed Igbos 20 years backwards from getting the presidency,” he said.

Maigari also said that some supporters of Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso are motivated more by personal political interests than by ideology.

He alleged that a number of Obi’s supporters are primarily focused on securing electoral positions at different levels, including state assemblies, the House of Representatives, and governorship tickets, by leveraging the momentum around Obi’s political profile.