Former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has said he does not regard anyone as a political “heavyweight” at present, arguing that many political figures are still adjusting to a new political order.
Speaking on Arise News on Thursday, Nwajiuba said “To be honest with you, I don’t consider anybody a political heavyweight right now, because everybody is just like who has abandoned wherever he was to come to this new field.”
He, however, stressed that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is populated by credible leaders with public trust.
“That recognises that they are very important men and women who are in ADC right now very important people, people who we’ve heard had public trust, who have been celebrated,” he said.
Nwajiuba cited Atiku Abubakar as an example, referencing his stewardship of Nigeria’s privatization programme.
“The likes of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar I mean, when he ran the privatisation scheme in Nigeria, it was decent.
“When other people took it over, it wasn’t so. You can see the difference; it’s like daylight,” he noted, adding, “They are people like that you can trust.”
He also mentioned former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, describing him as “my friend… who was within the cabinet,” and spoke glowingly about Peter Obi.
“There is my elder brother, Peter Obi, who has just joined us at the end of December. He has been part of the coalition all along,” Nwajiuba said.
Reflecting on the 2023 elections and youth support for Obi, Nwajiuba added:
“We as young persons backed him in 2023, and we found out he was clearly a candidate for Labour. But because the country needs all shades of ideals, all shades of people, all of us need to come.”
He concluded by urging broader participation across political lines:
“I feel all persons should express interest in this,” he said, emphasizing the need for inclusive collaboration to move Nigeria forward.