The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige has said that former presidential candidate, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu was eminently qualified for the post of president but made a mistake in contesting on the platform of a relatively-unknown Young Progressive Party (YPP).
He urged Ndigbo not to make the same mistake in its bid for the 2023 presidency.
The former governor of Anambra urged South-East politicians to either join the All Progressives Congress (APC) or Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that both parties stood a better chance of producing the president in 2023.
According to him, Moghalu would have stood a better chance if he had started by contesting for a National Assembly seat rather than the presidency.
The minister further stated that Moghalu, whom he described as an illustrious Igbo son, needed to undergo mentorship to succeed in politics.
Ngige told Daily Sun: “Even in a village meeting, you must stand up and indicate interest for whatever position you want. You make it a topic, and of course, seek for support.
“That’s how the game goes. You don’t stay away from the scene and at the same time be saying that you want power. So, there is still time for us, the Igbo, to go and reinforce. We need to reinforce in the two main political parties. That is what I am saying.
“If you go to Young Progressive Party you won’t be able to win even a local government. You are not the only one contesting. Dr Moghalu, my very good friend who was deputy governor of Central Bank. He said that he was going to YPP. I called him and said ‘young man, you have not carried politics bag. You have not served anybody in politics.
“Why would you jump into presidential race; not even for House of Representatives?’ If he had declared for governorship, we would have, maybe appealed to him to go for House of Representatives. So, one has to carry politics bag and learn from his master. You have to learn the art of politics.”
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