Osinbajo, Obi Disagree On Several Topics During The Vice Presidential Debate

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday night disagreed with the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, on several topics debated upon during the vice presidential debate series.

The debate was organised by the Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) ahead of next year’s general elections, held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

It was anchored by Imoni Amarere and in attendance were Professor Yemi Osibanjo (All Progressive Congress); Mr Peter Obi (Peoples Democratic Party), Khadija Abdullahi-Iya (Alliance for New Nigeria), Ganiyu Galadima (Allied Congress Party of Nigeria) and Umma Getso (Young Progressives Congress).

Osinbajo talked about the present administration’s achievements in the areas of agriculture, anti-corruption and infrastructure, among others, while Obi lamented that poverty was on the rise, with unemployment worsening.

Obi said: “Fighting corruption is not an economic policy; it is not that you can’t fight corruption, but you can fight it more aggressively while addressing economic issues.

“For example, in 2015, unemployment and unemployment was 25 per cent. Today, it is 40 per cent. In 2015, we attracted $21billion in foreign direct investment. But we attracted only $17 billion last year. Our GDP was 120 in 2015, our per capita was N2, 500. Today, it is under N1, 900. Our stock market lost over N2trillion in one year. That is not a policy.

“You are not creating jobs, you are not doing the right things and you are just fighting corruption. You can’t shut down your shop and you say you are chasing criminals.”

Osinbajo, who faulted Obi on the issue, maintained that there was no way the country could attain the desired growth if corrupt practices are allowed to remain in the country.

He said: “Let me say that if you allow criminals to steal all the inventory in the shop, there would be no shop. And what has happened in the last 16 years is what the World Bank told us that the major cause of our poverty is corruption.

“Let me say that there is no way that we can minimise what has happened. We can’t minimise corruption. If we minimise it, we run the risk of completely losing our argument. We can’t do what we are able to do unless we are able to minimise corruption or eradicate it completely.”