A former Minister of Education, Professor Fabian Osuji, has nudged the entire Igbo nation to punish the Anambra State governor, Charles Soludo, if he refuses to withdraw the statement attacking the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.
Osuji stated this in a statement made available on Tuesday morning where he said that it was embarrassing that Soludo, who benefited from the support of Umunna could turn against one of them in his quest to be the president of Nigeria.
The Anambra Governor had in an article on Monday, claimed that Obi cannot win the 2023 presidential election.
In an article, he titled ‘History beckons and I will not be silent (Part 1)’, Soludo said he would not submit to the bullying of Obi’s supporters, who recently descended on him for disputing the investments made by Obi during his tenure as Anambra governor.
Soludo asserted that Obi knows the game he is playing which is the main reason he didn’t return to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
He, however, said Obi was inadvertently making the pathway to victory much easier for the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, and also toying with the destiny of millions of Igbo.
Reacting to the statement, Osuji said, he was embarrassed about the level of hostility being exhibited by their brother and friend, Soludo towards Peter Obi.
He said, people like Soludo cannot claim that he is self-made, as it took people like him who participated in the making of him.
“I was Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Enugu) when his papers came for approval for Professorship. I could have found reason to withhold or deny assent, but we put him out and praised his work.
“That made President Obasanjo appoint him Economic Adviser without hesitation.”
He further explained that three years later after Soludo emerged a professor, it took a unanimous vote from himself, as the former Minister of Education, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala (then Minister of Finance), Oby Ezekwesili (Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Budget Monitoring) to be appointed the Governor of Central Bank.
According to Osuji, they were all attending a Conference in Brussels when President Obasanjo called Okonjo-Iweala to ask for the nomination.
He explained that, “As Ndigbo we were proud to support our brother. He was not the sole candidate,” but that “Obasanjo gave him the position.”
He stressed that, “Everyone rejoiced. That was the power of Umunna (brothers, that’s brotherhood).”
He however lamented that, “Years later, I cannot imagine the same person who benefitted resoundingly from the support of Umunna being the one to pull down his own brother who is enjoying overwhelming support elsewhere.
“I am truly ashamed of him. Ndigbo should not allow him to get away with this. He should be made to withdraw all his damaging statements against Obi.
“There is still time for him to reverse himself in this matter. Ndigbo must not allow him to get away with this,” Osuji stated.
