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General News of Friday, 14 October 2022

Source: legit.ng

2023 Election: Tinubu, Atiku, or Peter Obi? - Prominent lawyer gives powerful verdict

Wale Adeagbo Wale Adeagbo

Wale Adeagbo, a legal practitioner who has been observing the country’s narrative as it unfolds toward the 2023 poll, does not believe that the 2023 race can be void of religion and ethnicity.

While speaking with legit.ng, the legal icon posited that: “I make it bold to say that for the 2023 election, looking at the candidates themselves, ethnicity and religion can never be left out in the political arithmetics. No matter how people want to hide from it.”

Atiku is not a unifier

The legal luminary debunks the claim of the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, that he is coming to unify Nigeria.

“If he is truly a unifier as he has claimed, he would be the first person to make sure the Chairmanship of the PDP goes to the South in line with the PDP Constitution.”

Adeagbo maintained that if Atiku wins the 2023 presidential election, that means that another northerner will rule Nigeria for 8 years as against the southern call for the presidency.

“Returning power to the North, I don't think that's an exhibition of unification.”

APC Muslim-Muslim ticket is tactical and show of political understanding

However, the legal practitioner defended the same faith ticket of the APC, describing it as tactical and a show of political understanding.

“Using the same faith ticket can be said to be purely tactical and a show political understanding. APC needs crowd votes from the North, and the available Christian candidates may, in the wisdom of APC, not give them the desired results.”

Will Tinubu win southwest?

He goes further to predict the chances of Tinubu in the south, where it is perceived to be a Christian majority.

"Looking at the political personae of Tinubu, the South will give him votes, especially the Southwest. I believe his metric problems, as far as votes are concerned, are not in the South, the problem lies in the North, and I feel that's why the entire party opted for Shettima.”

What should Nigerians look out for in 2023?

He urged the electorates to look beyond the same faith ticket and watch out for the competence and propensity to deliver.

“And I feel, beyond religion, the competence of the candidates and the propensity to deliver are what we electorates should look out for...It should be beyond the same faith ticket.”

Is religion influencing Peter Obi's candidacy?

Speaking on the claim that Peter Obi's candidacy is being driven by religion due to the fact that other main candidates are Muslims and the current president is a Muslim.

He said: “I don't subscribe to that belief and claim. Peter Obi is a Nigerian citizen just as other candidates, they are all qualified to contest the position. So, I don't think it's been driven by religion.”

He quickly noted that the presidential candidate of the Action Alliance, Omoyele Sowore, is also a Christian.

“Sowore, I believe, is also a Christian.”

Legit.ng earlier reported that analysis has shown that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has some potential that gives him an edge over other aspirants.

Some of these potentials included issue-based campaigns, talking to the youths, and good antecedents, which some of his opponents are yet to talk about. However, despite Obi's moves, some northern political statisticians, including Kwankwaso, have predicted he cannot win the north, a voting bloc in the Nigeria election.