Arthur Eze: I’m not in support of Obi’s presidential bid — we’ll back Soludo when it’s time

Arthur Eze, a businessman, says he is not in support of the presidential bid of Peter Obi, standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP).

Eze spoke recently at the 2022 Ofala festival hosted by Robert Eze, traditional ruler of Ukpo in Dunukofia LGA of Anambra state.

The businessman said he had cautioned the former governor of Anambra to drop his ambition and wait for another opportunity because he would not win.

“I warned Peter Obi to withdraw from this race but he would not listen. I told him plainly that I am not part of his plans,” Punch quoted Eze as saying.

“I told him to drop his ambition, and wait for next time. When he told me about his ambition, I asked him the states he thinks he can win in the west and in the north. He told me, but I was not convinced.

“I told him he cannot not win; so that he would not waste his time and money.”

Eze said when the time is right, stakeholders in the south-east would back Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra.

“This is the person we are tipping to take over as Nigerian president of Igbo extraction in the time to come,” he said, pointing at Soludo.

“We have a presidential candidate that we are supporting now. After his tenure, he will hand over to Soludo as president.”

Meanwhile, in November, Soludo said Obi would not win the forthcoming general election.

In an article titled ‘History Beckons and I Will Not Be Silent (Part 1)’, Soludo said the LP presidential candidate does not have the requisite “structure” to win the election.

“Let’s be clear: Peter Obi knows that he can’t and won’t win. He knows the game he is playing, and we know too; and he knows that we know,” the governor had said.

“The game he is playing is the main reason he didn’t return to APGA.

“The brutal truth (and some will say, God forbid) is that there are two persons/parties seriously contesting for president: the rest is exciting drama!”

Soludo also said the former governor’s investment in the state is “worth next to nothing”.

But Obi replied, saying Soludo is positioned to do better for Anambra.

“Now, the professor is there, he will do what I didn’t do. The schools I didn’t roof, he will roof them,” the LP candidate had said.