A former governor and presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned democratic rule under the APC government. Mr Obi claimed that the ruling party knocked down the democratic structures and foundation laid by the Peoples Democratic Party.

“If you look at where we are today, it’s like they (the PDP) started in 1999; laid the foundation. Some people came and took it to decking (sic), and some people were trying to take it to the first floor when some people came and knocked everything down.

‘’That is the situation we are now. Everything has been knocked down, and nothing works,” the former Anambra governor claimed.

The major opposition figure in Nigeria said this on Monday in Abuja while speaking at a colloquium to mark the 60th birthday of former Governor Emeka Ihedioha.

“I am somebody who can say this, exemplarily. I became a governor through the courts when President Obasanjo and Atiku were in government. I did not pay the court one naira. I was sitting in my office, and the court declared me winner when a governor was not seeing them.

“This cannot happen in Nigeria today. When I was being impeached, the president sent people to come and intervene on my behalf. Ken Nnamani came, begging the house people not to impeach me. Today, the president impeaches the person. So, that is the thing. It has collapsed. It has failed,” the politician explained.

Mr Obi added, “They were begging my house not to impeach me. And they were in the PDP and I was in AGPA and they were begging. President Obasanjo was calling and said, Peter, are you okay? Are you safe? When I got back from the court, and the court eventually declared me, under Andy Ubah. 

“President Yar’Adua called my phone in London and said congrats. I said I can’t come back, because you know if I come back, these people…He said, tell me the flight in which you’re coming and I told him. When I came, it was the first time the military people came to receive me at the airport. 

“I couldn’t believe it and took me straight to him. ’Now, the president will ask me not to come back here again! So, it has failed. Let’s talk about how we are going to rebuild it. It is collapsing.”