Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has accused Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi of playing regional politics.
He said such an approach will not take Obi far.
Gumi, who spoke with reporters on the 2023 general elections and state of the nation, in his residence said Nigeria needs an experienced politician to get out of the wood.
Nigeria, according to him, does not need a novice as the next President.
He said that, unlike Obi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidates Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar have the requisite political and administrative experience to lead the country.
According to him: “Nigeria needs an experienced politician. We don’t need a novice to be President. The situation in Nigeria today needs an experienced politician to solve it.”
On Obi, he said: “Youths following him are divided like the adults. He needs to reach out to other segments of Nigerians. Relying on youths is not enough. He has to be all over the place and not leaving politics to one region”.
He advised that Nigerians should do away with ethnoreligious politics in this 21st century and come together for the progress of the country.
He warned that if an inexperienced politician is voted into power, he will find it difficult to assemble the best brains within a possible time framework to set the nation working progressively.
Gumi noted that it took President Muhammadu Buhari over six months to appoint Ministers and government officials because he (Buhari) was an inexperienced politician.
“Nigeria is now in the 21st century, people are more educated now. What Nigeria needs now are people with competency. We should not be talking about North because North is no longer monolithic, we should not be talking about Southwest because no particular person is in control, we should not be talking about South East, look at how Senator Ifeanyi Uba was attacked by his own people.
“So let’s talk about Nigeria as one united people. Nobody controls anybody in the country. So let’s move forward. Look at America, nobody is talking about power rotation. Let’s develop democracy that we can sustain”.
