Rights activist and FCT senatorial aspirant under the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Aisha Yesufu, has said her support for Peter Obi is not blind loyalty.
Yesufu said Obi is not her political godfather, adding that she would hold him accountable if he failed to stand for good governance, transparency and accountability.
She stated this during an interview with ARISE News on Monday.
The activist-turned-politician said she supports Obi because she believes he has the empathy and patriotism needed to work for Nigeria.
“I don’t have a godfather. He’s not my godfather. He’s a principal,” Yesufu said.
“I gave my words to Peter Obi, and I see him right now as that person who has the empathy, who is patriotic enough and who cares enough about Nigeria for him to work for Nigeria.”
Yesufu, however, made it clear that her support for Obi had limits.
According to her, if Obi does anything wrong, she will not hesitate to call him out.
“If Mr Peter Obi does something that is not right, I will stand, he knows that, holding him accountable,” she said.
“So it’s not about following someone or having a godfather or whatever. I’m a supporter as long as he aligns with what works for a better Nigeria and giving us good governance, accountability and transparency.”
Yesufu is currently seeking the NDC ticket to represent the Federal Capital Territory in the Senate.
She said her ambition is driven by the desire to solve problems and give FCT residents a stronger voice in government.
According to her, going to the Senate is not about fighting the Minister of the FCT or engaging in political confrontation.
“My business is not to go and be fighting the Minister of FCT,” she said.
“My business is for me to represent my people and be their voice and ensure that every problem that they have is brought to the front burner, and not just put in the front burner, but it’s also solved.”
Yesufu also said she is not abandoning activism for politics.
Rather, she said she is taking advocacy into politics in order to hold public officers accountable.
“I’m not leaving advocacy or activism into politics. I’m taking advocacy and activism into politics,” she said.
She added that if elected as senator, one of her major duties would be to hold the executive arm of government accountable.
Yesufu also dismissed the figures announced after the APC presidential primary, describing them as unbelievable.
She claimed that the ruling party was trying to project strength despite what she described as public dissatisfaction.
“It’s just a joke,” she said.
“The numbers that were bandied out just don’t make sense.”
On the opposition ahead of 2027, Yesufu said fragmentation was not necessarily a setback.
She said different opposition figures could first secure their party tickets before returning to the negotiation table for possible collaboration.
According to her, working together may be easier, but it is not the only route to defeating the ruling party.
Yesufu said her immediate focus is to win the NDC senatorial ticket, adding that other aspirants are also in the race.
She expressed confidence in the NDC leadership, saying the party had shown signs of wanting to offer Nigerians a credible alternative.
