Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Presidential election, Peter Obi, has slammed the senate over their recent invitation to a dinner by the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.
Obi, who reacted to the recent 32 ambassadorial nominees sent to the Upper Chamber by President Bola Tinubu, said some of the choices were shocking.
Among the nominees are Reno Omokri, former presidential aide; Mahmood Yakubu, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Femi Fani-Kayode, ex-aviation minister; and Okezie Ikpeazu, former governor of Abia.
In a post on X on Monday, Obi said some of the names on the list leave much to be desired.
“Yes, some of the names being paraded to represent us as ambassadors globally are shocking. But with a leadership that has allowed mediocrity, corruption, and impunity to rise to the top, who else did you expect them to choose?” he asked.
He also dwelt on the economic hardship afflicting millions of homes.
“When our people are being killed, our leaders are busy hosting dinners. When children are being snatched from their schools, the political class is celebrating and dancing,” he added.
“When families cannot afford their next meal, those in power are welcoming defectors and exchanging gifts as though Nigeria is not burning.
“This is not governance. This is not leadership. And this is certainly not the Nigeria we deserve.”
The ex-Anambra governor said the suffering in the country has become a “pain one carries silently”.
Obi shared the story of how a group of young Nigerians approached him at the Abuja airport on Monday and expressed concern that he had not commented on the recent challenges confronting the country.
“It is the kind of pain that makes you remember the humiliating remark from the American president who referred to Nigeria as a ‘now disgraced country’,” he said.
“Today, when you look around, you begin to understand why the world speaks of us that way.”
