Peter Obi Is A Trader, Can’t Be President, Says Oshiomhole

The Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed the chances of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, of becoming the President of Nigeria.

Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, said Obi lacked the qualities required to lead the country, describing him as a trader who only thinks about short-term gains.

The senator stated this during an interview on TVC on Monday.

Oshiomhole criticised Obi’s approach to leadership and economic management, arguing that traders focus more on immediate returns than long-term planning.

He said, “Peter Obi is a trader. Traders have short-term calculations, they are not into long-term projections. They are not wired to think about what the situation will be in the long run. Their turnover is within three months, maximum of six months.

“The Peter Obi that was Governor of Anambra State is not the same today, because he was the one who said, as a matter of respect to the memory of Odumegwu Ojukwu, he would never abandon APGA.

“But before daybreak, once his tenure ended, Obi became a political wanderer, and he immediately found an alliance with perhaps the kind of people Ojukwu would never have related with. He did this when he became running mate to Atiku Abubakar.”

The former Edo governor also questioned what Obi’s past political decisions and lifestyle suggested about how he would govern Nigeria if elected President.

Oshiomhole said, “You look at his lifestyle to be able to project what he would do if he were to become president which he would not be, God willing.”

He argued that the country needed leaders who understood the importance of investing in industries and building businesses that could create jobs and strengthen the economy over a long period.

According to him, manufacturers and entrepreneurs understand that building a successful business requires patience, investment and long-term planning.

“It is a manufacturer, an investor, an entrepreneur that understands how you can start a project, sweating for two to three years to build a factory, and then import machinery to install before you start producing,” he said.

Oshiomhole further accused Obi of supporting policies that, according to him, had contributed to the loss of jobs and increased unemployment in Nigeria.

He claimed that the country had suffered economically while Obi was focused on his business interests.

“Nigeria was virtually grounded. Peter Obi is not aware because he’s busy trading. I have said to people that Peter Obi’s business is to export job and import unemployment to the country. That is what he lives for. He’s a trader. He owns a shopping mall,” Oshiomhole said.

Obi, who served as governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2013, was the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election.

He later left the Labour Party and joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, where he is expected to play a major role in the party’s political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.