The Presidency has told Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, that appointing personal staff including Cooks aren’t sufficient as a strategy for uniting the country.
Speaking in an interview, Obi pledged to unite Nigeria if elected president in 2027.
He cited the employment of northern cooks and an aide-de-camp as examples of his record on inclusion.
But President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Engagement, Fredrick Nwabufo, said Obi did not present a clear plan for national unity during the interview.
“Obi claimed that he would unite Nigeria, but failed to explain how beyond the tired refrain of his cooks and ADC being northerners,” Nwabufo said.
He added that national unity requires more than symbolic gestures.
“Essentially, the balancing forces of national cohesion are governance and the economy,” he said.
“We cannot discuss national unity in isolation from the levers of leadership and the material benefits of governance.”
Nwabufo also stated that unity is best achieved through inclusive governance, economic integration, and equitable access to public resources.
“Strengthening national unity requires the delivery of public resources to citizens regardless of their religion, ethnicity or social standing,” he said.
The presidential aide further accused Obi and some of his supporters of contributing to divisions.
“His utterances, actions, and those of his followers have but deepened the chasm,” Nwabufo said.
He also criticized Obi for what he described as a lack of policy detail.
“Peter Obi’s interview shows him again to be vacant of deep thought, understanding of governance, and taken up by syrupy rhetoric,” he said.
“He still has no plan, no alternative, and no policy plank, beyond a mouthful of sentimental nothings.”
Nwabufo said the Tinubu administration has promoted national cohesion by ensuring that the six geopolitical zones benefit equally from government programmes, initiatives and projects.
He also cited the appointment of young professionals from different backgrounds as evidence of inclusive governance.
“For the first time in the evolution of Nigeria, young people are superintending strategic sectors of government,” he said.
