Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has responded to Nollywood actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, for calling his supporters, popularly referred to as Obidients, “low-class” and “street urchins.”
Okonkwo, in an interview with SYMFONI, had criticized Obi’s leadership for allegedly relying on “street urchins” as followers.
He also rebuked Obi for remaining silent while his supporters reportedly spread falsehoods about others who had worked with him.
Okonkwo said, “How is it that people are lying with Peter Obi’s name and he would not react to it, would not call them to order publicly? Why has Peter Obi not debunked that useless lie that somebody is lying with his name? It shows a leader who can’t even defend the truth or defend people who have worked for him.
“These are the kinds of problems Peter Obi has, attracting street urchins, classless street urchins. I saw one street urchin of the ekuke level. All those rabies-infected dogs. They are ill-bred, very ill-mannered. Those are the kind of followers that he is attracting now. Can you imagine in a society where other leaders are attracting distinguished people, the people you are attracting are the street urchins?”
But Obi, in a tweet on Wednesday, described the insults as “deeply unfortunate”, noting that it is unfair and shameful to look down on people just because they are struggling or do not belong to the elite class.
“Lately, I have heard a few people say that those who follow Peter Obi are low-class Nigerians, and some have even gone as far as calling them ‘street urchins’ and people of no value. It is deeply unfortunate that in today’s Nigeria, citizens now look down on fellow citizens in such a degrading manner,” Obi wrote.
He added that his political journey has never been about pleasing the rich and powerful, but about standing with ordinary Nigerians.
Obi also noted that he has always believed in lifting people up, not bringing them down.
The former Anambra governor stated, “I have never and will never look down on anyone, except to lift them up. After all, we can only rise by lifting others.
“My involvement in politics has never been about associating with the so-called high and mighty, but about standing with the ordinary Nigerians whose voices have been silenced and whose resources have been stolen by the same ‘big names’ who now parade themselves with all sorts of titles and names.
“No Nigerian is of no value. No Nigerian is a street urchin. It speaks volumes about the state of our nation that everyday Nigerians are now battered by poverty and hardship, to the point their leaders refer to them as of no value and urchins.
“Every Nigerian deserves dignity, opportunity, and care. That is why I will continue to do my part to ensure that the ordinary Nigerians enjoy a better life, one built on access to education, quality healthcare, and genuine efforts to lift them out of poverty.
“True leadership is not about mocking the weak; it is about lifting them up.”
