The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said that religion and ethnicity are elements of manipulation, used by politicians that are not doing well.
The former Anambra state’s governor said that all Nigerians across religions and tribes are facing economic hardship and hunger as a result of bad leadership.
Obi led this out during an interview, posted by Why Not Afrika via its X handle on Wednesday.
He said that failed political leaders manipulate the poor citizens along ethnic and religious lines to capture power.
He said: “In Nigeria, we don’t have religious and tribal issues. This sentiment is brought about by incompetent, unqualified, never-do-well leaders. So they use this as their only means of engagement or to capture votes.
“The general populace is poor, is living in deep pain, hungry. So this becomes a tool of manipulation to them.
“There is no part of Nigeria where any tribe buys bread cheaper. There is no part of Nigeria that is not hungry; there is no part of Nigeria that gets uninterrupted electricity because they are from that part, no part of Nigeria that has pipe-born water.
“There is no religion that buys food cheaper. If they don’t buy food cheaper why is anyone talking about religion?
“So I don’t know where this is coming from. But I can tell you it is a tool of manipulation. The country has failed over the years, and its leadership failure.”
Whenever they can’t perform or can’t deliver on their promise, they resort to manipulating voters through Tribalism and Religion. @PeterObi talks to @FahadAmirN pic.twitter.com/aoQnZEvuWx
— Why Not Afrika (@WhyNotAfrika) August 14, 2024
Whenever they can’t perform or can’t deliver on their promise, they resort to manipulating voters through Tribalism and Religion. @PeterObi talks to @FahadAmirN pic.twitter.com/aoQnZEvuWx
— Why Not Afrika (@WhyNotAfrika) August 14, 2024