Former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari, has revealed why he rejected the offer to be the running mate of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.
Shagari said he was contacted to be Obi’s running mate but rejected the offer because he strongly believes that the Labour Party cannot defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at any election.
The PDP chieftain stated this during an interview on Channels TV Politics Today.
Shagari added that the Labour Party has no presence in his native Sokoto State.
He claimed that Nigerians are not looking for “lofty ideas” but solutions to the nation’s problems.
Shagari said, “I was contacted to be the running mate of Peter Obi. I told them I will not be able to leave my Party because I believe in the philosophy of my Party, I believe in what my Party stands for Nigeria and I also believe that the Labour Party will not be able to beat my party at any election.
“What is happening? So many young people as you said, who are those young people? I asked the Labour Party members that contacted me, ‘Tell me who really is the Chairman of Labour Party in Sokoto State? Who are the candidates of Labour Party in Sokoto State? Who is contesting for Senate? Who is contesting for governorship and so on and so forth, I did not get any successful answer.
“The issue is at any point in time, Nigerians are not looking for lofty ideas, Nigerians are looking for solutions to the problems and maladies of this country in the area of economy, in the area of security, in the area of infrastructure, in the area of poverty alleviation.”
