Arise News political editor, Sumner Sambo, has advised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, to remain in the party and confront the political challenges facing it rather than seeking another platform.
Sambo made the remarks on Monday while speaking as a guest on Arise Television’s Morning Show, following a fresh legal setback for the NDC.
A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, recently overturned its earlier judgment that had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC as a political party.
Reacting to the development, Sambo questioned the recurring political obstacles Obi has encountered in the parties he has joined over the years.
“Why is it that anytime Peter Obi gets into one party, there seems to be a decision or an abrupt measure to escalate problems in that party, or to ensure that the party doesn’t compete in the elections?” he asked.
He urged the former Anambra State governor to remain steadfast in the NDC despite the challenges.
“I think Obi himself knows it, and this is the time for him to stay in the NDC and fight, not to start thinking of leaving the NDC. He should stay in the NDC, make sure that he fights it out, and come out victorious,” Sambo said.
The political editor argued that switching political parties would not shield Obi from future opposition, citing his previous experiences in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“If they pursued him from the PDP to Labour Party, and then to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), what makes him think that if he leaves the NDC, they won’t fight him again?” he said.
According to Sambo, Obi has reached a point where perseverance is the best political strategy.
“It’s already too late, so let him stay in the NDC, show his political credentials, and then fight it out,” he added.
