2023: Atiku Made Peter Obi A National Figure – Melaye

Former Kogi Central lawmaker,  Senator Dino Melaye had claimed that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, made the presidential flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, a national figure.

Melaye claimed that the former vice president discovered Obi and made him a national appeal when he picked him as his running mate in the 2019 presidential election.

He said this during the public declaration for Atiku and induction ceremony by the Diamond Ladies in Politics held Saturday evening in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The former lawmaker described the PDP presidential candidate as a talent hunter, saying that Atiku identified the former Anambra governor before his supporters on social discovered him.

He said: “Obi is a fantastic Nigerian but he was not known nationally until Atiku identified him. Atiku is a talent hunter. Everyone who was a reformer in this country between 1999 and to date was a discovery of Atiku.

“Atiku discovered Obi before keyboard warriors discovered Obi. Unfortunately, elections are not going to take place on social media.

“It is going to take place at the polling units. And those that would vote are the people here. So it is now operation votes must count.”

On her part, the convener of Diamond Ladies in Politics, Maimunat Wada, pledged to mobilise no fewer than two million votes for PDP in the presidential poll.

She said: “With Atiku Abubakar on the saddle of leadership of the country, there would be inclusiveness of Nigerians irrespective of their tribal and religious affiliations.

“Atiku’s choice of his running mate, His Excellency Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, his array of business partners, investments spread across the country and even the ethnic backgrounds of his spouses are clear testimony that he would be a true Nigerian president.”