Peter Obi to Buhari: Take pictures with impactful Nigerians — not valueless politicians

Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra state, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to stop taking pictures with “heartless, valueless” politicians switching political parties.

Some prominent politicians recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and met with the president at Aso Rock for pictures before announcing the switch.

The latest defection was that of Femi Fani-Kayode who, last week, announced his crossover to the ruling party as pictures of himself meeting with the president went viral.

Obi, in a chat with Arise TV on Monday, condemned the trend while adding that the act “is sending the wrong signal that you can be anything and be elevated into something”.

He said the president should instead take pictures “at the funeral of our falling soldiers, police, or their family” or with “young people who are doing innovative things in the tech industry”.

“Let me tell you what I found worrisome about the defection of today. What I found worrisome is people, weekly and daily, being led to go and take photoshoots with the president, I’m worried about it. I want to see the president taking pictures at the funeral of our falling soldiers, police, or their family,” the former vice-presidential candidate said.

“I want to see him taking pictures with young people who are doing innovative things in the tech industry. I want to see him taking pictures with people who are making a lot of impact; not pictures with those of us — I’m generalising politicians — who are heartless, valueless. It is very worrisome. Those pictures are not helping our country. The perception is sending the wrong signal that you can be anything and be elevated into something. That’s why the country is collapsing.”