Eniola Olayemi
“When I see Peter Obi talks about China, China, China, China… except that he doesn’t look like one of them. But I understand he buys all his goods [from China],” Oshiomhole said. “When you go to NEXT Supermarket in Abuja, 90% of the goods are Chinese-made, so you understand his bond with China, China, and China. But what defined China’s development are precisely the opposite of the public policy pronouncements that Atiku has failed to articulate.”
Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says Peter Obi, presidential running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is fascinated by China due to the stocking of his multi-billion-naira shopping mall, Next, with China-made goods.
Obi is known to regularly reference China when discussing the industrial and infrastructural advancement his party will bring to Nigeria if voted into power are the February 16 election.
Oshiomhole has taken pleasure in aiming digs at Obi’s China proclamations, famously describing the former Anambra Governor last week as “half China, half India”.
On Tuesday at the presidential campaign rally of his party in Ekiti State, Oshiomhole toed the same line, saying: “When I see Peter Obi talk about China, China, China, China… except that he doesn’t look like one of them. But I understand he buys all his goods [from China].
“When you go to NEXT Supermarket in Abuja, 90% of the goods are Chinese-made, so you understand his bond with China, China, China.
“But what defined China’s development are precisely the opposite of the public policy pronouncements that Atiku has failed to articulate. The Chinese refused to float China’s currency; Atiku says he will float Nigeria’s currency. The Chinese invest in massive road and rail construction so that there is chance to move raw materials, goods and services, but Atiku has never spoken to what he will do on infrastructure.”
At the Sani Abacha Stadium, venue of last Thursday’s presidential campaign rally of the APC in Kano, Oshimhole had also attacked Obi, telling the mammoth crowd: “I was telling someone this morning: Atiku has made again another mistake of his life. The first time he contested for the presidency, he went for an Obi. After Obi, he failed; he returned to PDP. He tried again, he failed; he came back to APC. He tried again he failed; this time he went back to PDP and went to another Obi.
“This other Obi is half China and half India — because if he speaks three words, one will be Chinese, the second one will be Indian and the third one will be a mixture of Igbo and Yoruba. I have tried to teach him my own language but he is not likely to succeed.”
