Okowa: Nigeria’s unity threatened because people are frustrated — there is poverty everywhere

Ifeanyi Okowa, vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the unity of the country is being threatened because of frustration and poverty.

Speaking on Friday at an event in Abuja, organised by Green Assembly Initiative (GAI) to mark International Youths Day, Okowa said the issues Nigeria is facing needs someone who is experienced.

The Delta governor said the country is too “fractured” and needs a leader like Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the party, to fix it.

“Our building process starts in 2023 when Atiku Abubakar becomes president. If we do not elect the right person, we’ll find ourselves getting somebody who is going to get the seat and still be confused,” he said.

“It’s much easier to govern in a nation where the rule of law is not taken for granted, because institutions are already working.

“But in a country like Nigeria and in most African countries where the issues are different, it requires a lot of deep talk, a lot of experience — positive experience that can truly enable you to govern and to be able to bring everybody on the table and be inclusive in governance.

“Not too many people have such experiences. I believe that the Nigeria of today is fractured. There are so many contending voices. People are speaking in different directions.

“Our oneness is being threatened. Why? Not because of the north or south, Muslim and Christians, but because there’s frustration everywhere; there’s poverty everywhere.”

According to Okowa, the efforts of Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo contributed to improving Nigeria’s economy at the time.

“That was Nigeria. Today, we do not have the depth of knowledge. The only man who seems to have that depth of knowledge to take us out of where we are is Atiku Abubakar,” the vice-presidential candidate said.

“He’s the only one that has had a similar experience in 1999. Together with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, they were able to take us out of a difficult situation.

“It is not about the PDP or APC; it is about who can salvage us at the moment. We must think around, so that we will not allow the trauma in our minds to make us take the wrong decision.”