A Chieftain of the Labour Party, Basil Maduka, has called on Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, to join forces with President Bola Tinubu in addressing the economic hardship in the country.

Maduka also advised the president to look for more technocrats and business men to drive his economic policies.

Briefing journalists on Monday in Abuja, Maduka, who was a governorship aspirant of LP in the 2023 Imo election, said “opposition is good if it is well channeled”.

Since taking office in May 2023, President Tinubu has only received one of his three main opponents in the February 25 presidential election, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the flagbearer of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

Obi and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former vice president Atiku Abubakar who have been consistent in their criticisms of government policies have not paid a visited to the president.

When asked about the persistent criticisms of the president by Obi, Maduka stated: “Peter Obi is an individual with his own perception. Government is collectivism. I think opposition is better when you are in the house.

“But if you are outside, people might not take you serious. Talk is actually cheap. You can say if I was Mr. President, I will do this, I will do that. But when you are given the opportunity, you will see that the dynamics will change.

“However, since he (Obi) is not Mr. President now, I think his views would be more pronounced and fruitful, if once in a while, he visits Mr. President and say Mr. President, I want to do this or that. It is Nigerians that we all want to liberate. Anybody can be the driver even as everyone has shortcomings. opposition is good if it is well channeled.”

The LP chieftain maintained that it is time for Nigerians, irrespective of political party to support the President in his quest to deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

He said: “From what happened in the past, parties were blaming PDP for squandering the economy for 16 years because they are looking at it as a party affairs. If you believe you want to liberate the country, you go after opposition members to tell them to join you and develop the country. Every government feels happy when the people are happy.

“It is high time we look inward, it should not be about party affairs, religion or tribe. It is the private sector that do more than the government. It is not more an APC government, it is the government of Nigerians.

The president had removed fuel subsidy to ensure there is a lot of resources coming into government coffers. Mr. President needs technocrat and people who won’t discriminate irrespective of party.

“After the last Imo elections, I have to go back to my company. Today, looking at what is happening, Mr. President has already been elected. He gave us a caption, renewed hope. He promised to give Nigerians hope. One year has come and being our president, Nigerians is for all of us irrespective of where we belong to. We shouldn’t see another political party as an enemy.

“Everybody wants to experience prosperity irrespective of who is driving the car, the   President has very good programmes for Nigerians and only him cannot do it.”