Senator Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora, Minister of Science and Technology, has argued that Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party can’t win the 2023 presidential election because he lacks the political structure.
The minister noted Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the best man to preside over Nigeria in 2023.
According to Mamora, Obi is like an independent candidate and independent candidates don’t win presidential elections even in the United States of America.
Mamora who spoke on Political Paradigm, a Channels TV programme, on Tuesday, identified courage, vision, and strategy as three qualities that make Tinubu distinct from the rest, saying he possesses ample experience and political antecedents.
He said, “I don’t know of any state that can survive with funds to the local government withheld for so long. In 2003, you will recall the tsunami that took place in the South-West. Prior to that, all the six South-West states were the Alliance of Democracy, AD states, but he became the only survivor after 2003. He has faced so many challenges in life and God has given him that capacity to survive all these things. I don’t know any other governor of his time (1999 – 2007) who continues to be relevant.”
Mamora, who cautioned that the candidates of other political parties should not be underrated in the forthcoming 2023 presidential polls said: “You don’t underrate your opponents. With due respect to the other candidates, he (Tinubu) is still the number one and the candidate to beat. You cannot underrate structure in politics, particularly elections because this is the reality.
“There are so many logistics involved in electioneering because what I see in Labour Party with all due respect is independent candidacy, and to the best of my knowledge even in America that has been at it for so long, no independent candidate has ever won a presidential election. Independent candidates can win in smaller constituencies-Senate, House of Representatives, etc, not presidential; so, it will be a miracle of this century.”