Obi stated that there is no political party that can capture
any region simply because a governor defects to it.

He made this statement on Wednesday in Abuja while reacting
to the recent defection of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and his Bayelsa
counterpart, Douye Diri, to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

According to him, the idea that a state can be captured by a
political party through the defection of its leader belongs to Nigeria’s
military past.

“The people will decide where to go, not governors or
senators. No party will capture or win any state just because it has a
governor.

“Peter Mbah is a good friend of mine, and I believe that as
governor, he must have taken his decision based on his own political views and
calculations,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor also dismissed the notion
that the South-East could be captured politically, insisting that leadership in
a democracy is about persuasion, not coercion.

“As for the alleged plot to capture the South-East, we are
not in a military time when you capture people. You are a leader. You tend to
do the right things for them to follow you. So I don’t think anybody is
capturing anywhere,” he added.

The politician called on public officials to focus on good
governance and policies that directly improve the lives of citizens, warning
that no amount of political realignment can guarantee loyalty from the people
without performance.