The Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Obi, has described the death of former President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shuhu Shagari, as a national loss with so many lessons and challenges for Nigeria.
Obi, representing the PDP’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, spoke on Sunday while in Sokoto with former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to commiserate with the family of Shehu Shagari; the Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.
While answering questions from journalists, Obi said a careful perusal of the Presidency of Shagari revealed a lot of hidden lessons.
His words: “Besides the lesson in patriotism and hard work, Shagari showed us that humility, care and love should be essential part of leadership, which is the hallmark of Atiku’s philosophy of leadership.”
Obi, who described Shagari as “an urbane, compassionate, tolerant, polished politician and a leader worthy of emulation”, said some of the programmes he embarked on while leading the country such as his “Green Revolution” were conceived in good faith.
On the challenges posed by Shagari’s death, Obi said the generations of Shagari are gradually passing out in obedience to the law of birth and death and that such development was a challenge to the youth to brace up for leadership positions.
Insisting that an Abubakar Presidency understood the development very well, Obi said the imperatives of generational shift informed the PDP presidential candidate’s decision that his Cabinet would be made up of over 40 per cent women and youths if elected into office.
Recalling the excellent working relationship Shagari had with his then Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Obi said 2019 would make it 40 years since a person from the South East partook in the Presidency.