It’s unfair to focus on trivial issues like Umahi’s defection when Nigerians are battling with hunger –Peter Obi

The Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has stated that it is unfair to focus on trivial issues such as the defection of Governor David Umahi when a greater percentage of the population were increasingly finding it difficult to put food on their tables.

Peter Obi, who made the comments while responding to a question during his appearance on Arise Television on Tuesday, said that such political dramas should not form the focus of Nigerians when the country is facing severe economic recession.

Reacting further to the defection of Governor Umahi, Obi, a former governor of Anambra State said that said he had, for a long time, refrained from commenting on Umahi’s move to jump ship form the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC) because the country had more pressing economic issues to solve.

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“As at today, Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world. We have the highest number of out-of-school children. Our unemployment rate is skyrocketing every day, food stuffs prices are soaring higher and people are dying of hunger. Would it be fair for us to turn blind eyes to all these challenges facing our people and occupy ourselves with who leaves a particular political party or who does not?” Obi asked.

Speaking further during the TV programme, Obi said; “How many people have been pulled out of poverty by Umahi’s defection? Will Nigeria exit recession because Umahi left PDP? What economic value does Umahi’s defection to APC have on the average Nigerian on the street who is struggling to put food on their table? We must not be distracted by political movements at this time.

“Anyone is free to belong to any political party. Our common focus should be saving our economy and making our governance fruitful and productive”, Mr Obi said.

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