“You cannot even resolve the crisis in that Labour Party. Is it the crisis of boko haram that you will come and resolve in Nigeria?
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has taken a swipe at the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, challenging his capacity to lead Nigeria when he “cannot resolve crises” within his own political party.
Akpabio made the comments during Thursday’s plenary during his closing remarks after the valedictory session in honour of elder statesman and former senator, Edwin Clark.
The Senate President was responding to a comment made by Obi at Pa Clark’s memorial lecture in Abuja on Wednesday, where the former Anambra State governor claimed that the “labours of heroes past” are in vain, questioning the silence of civic voices who protested under former President Goodluck Jonathan despite the worsening economic situation under the current administration.
The senate president, in what appeared to be an indirect jab at Obi, questioned the opposition’s reliance on social media activism, dismissing it as insufficient for national leadership.
“You cannot even resolve the crisis in that Labour Party. Is it the crisis of Boko Haram that you will come and resolve in Nigeria? I would like us to be known for what we did when we had the opportunity,” he said.
He reeled out achievements from his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom State, claiming that his administration left behind some of the most iconic infrastructure in the country.
“I can tell you about the flyover house in my stadium, the best international office in my stadium, the monuments of government houses built for governors and deputies,” Akpabio said.
“I ran one of the best digitalised governor’s offices in Nigeria. I can tell you about the best international stadium in West Africa. I can tell you about the free and compulsory education for all Nigerians.
“I can tell you about the unity I brought in religion by sponsoring over 5,800 Muslims to the Holy Land and over 12,000 to 15,000 Christians to Rome and to Jerusalem.”
He continued, saying, “Those aspiring presidential candidates and trying to cause division with their mouths on social media should first resolve the small crisis in the smallest party in Nigeria before talking about leading the country.”
Akpabio added that if Edwin Clark were still alive, he would have given same advise saying he was “speaking in his voice.”
Parliament Reports recalls that in a speech delivered a day earlier at a memorial lecture in honour of Late Clark in Abuja, Obi had criticised what he described as selective outrage and hypocrisy in Nigeria’s civic space.
Obi lamented the lack of public protest over the country’s current economic challenges compared to the demonstrations witnessed under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He questioned whether the then protesters are now dead, saying they protested against Jonathan, when he increased fuel from N87 to N120 and a dollar exchanged at N900.
He said: “For somebody like me who had just been part of the 2023 general election, he (Edwin Clark) lived a life of courage, a life of sacrifice, a life of justice, a life that is valued. But most importantly, he continued living that life to the end. So why are we saying it (labours of heroes past) should not be in vain.
“I listened to my brother Mike when you talked about, ‘may the Labour of our heroes past not be in vain’.
“I’m happy that Jonathan is here. But I can tell you their sacrifice is in vain.
“They have sacrificed for nothing. We where in this country, when people were protesting, when there was no need to protest under Goodluck Jonathan. where are those protesters? Have they died? Where are they?
“So why are we saying it (labours of heroes past) should not be in vain?
“Jonathan increased fuel from N87 to N120 and people were protesting in this country. And when it was N900 they weren’t protesting.
“Again, so why are we saying it (labours of heroes past) should not be in vain?
“People protested when $1 was N180, and when it was N1500 they weren’t protesting. Are they dead?” he questioned.
