The 60-year-old former governor of Anambra State said this on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, while featuring on Arise TV Morning Show.
Obi said he wants a running mate who has something to offer to complement his ticket rather than recycling old hands who had been in the government before now.
The presidential candidate also debunked the claim that he had picked the Director of Publicity and Advocacy of Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, as his vice-presidential candidate.
He added that Ahmed is a capable hand but consultations are still ongoing.
“We’re talking to a quiet number of people and Hakeem Baba-Ahmed is a capable hand. But I wish I can work with somebody who is more younger.
“I prefer younger people who have a lot to offer rather than recycling old hands. I want a competent person and I am building a formidable team.
“I want people who can look me in the eye and disagree with me during cabinet meetings. People who have their own minds and ideas, he said.
When asked about when he would release his manifesto, Obi said instead of paying professors to write a policy document for him, his achievements in Anambra can be replicated on a larger scale.
“How can I hire professors to write or draft policy documents for me that I don’t even believe in?
“I have replicated all that I am promising Nigerians before. It would be the same thing. What I did in Anambra and what I achieved is what we will replicate on a larger scale. We want Nigeria to become the engine of production,” Obi said.
Obi also reacted to the campaign of calumny on social media saying his opponents had paid some people online to malign his campaign team by infiltrating his core supporters and releasing falsehoods online.
The presidential candidate also dismissed the claim that northerners won’t vote for him. He said Nigerians and people from the north will vote for him based on competence in 2023.
