Guardian Nigeria
•Obi denies endorsing any leadership
Visit by the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 General Elections, Peter Obi, to the secretariat of the party on Tuesday with his supporters has generated some ripples within the party.
Apparently piqued by how his visit was portrayed to be an endorsement of the Julius Abure-led leadership, Obi, yesterday, explained that his visit to the party’s secretariat on Tuesday was not to endorse the leadership but to pursue reconciliation.
A statement by Obi’s Media Relations (POMR) spokesperson, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said the visit was more for reconciliation and not an endorsement of any leadership as it was being portrayed.
Obi’s spokesperson statement reads: “Obi’s visit to Labour Party headquarters, yesterday, was not to endorse anybody, but occasioned by his reconciliatory move. Julius Abure, in his speech, stated clearly how Obi came to the office, and Obi in his speech clarified same, while preaching peace, and his mantra: ‘Pursuit of better Nigeria for the poor’.
“Obi had repeatedly maintained that his interest was to carry everybody along into one strong family, and not to support one against the other. “The LP standards bearer plans to continue meeting with critical stakeholders, and groups to achieve all-inclusive political family with a common dream of rescuing Nigeria.”
But in his reaction, the LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiorah Ifoh, in a statement, described Obi’s latest statement as a twist to the well-intentioned visit of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate to the leadership of the party. He said Obi and Abure were on the same page over reconciliation in LP as he warned against any attempt to twist the well intentioned visit.
The statement reads: “The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to a statement issued by Dr Tanko Yinusa, the spokesperson for our National Leader, Peter Obi, titled, ‘Obi visits to LP, reconciliatory, not endorsement…’,wherein he tried to twist the well-intentioned visit of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate to the leadership of the party.
“As a party, we are pleased that our leader has chosen to reconcile all aggrieved members and stakeholders of the party. This noble step taken by Mr Obi is in line with the call made by the Labour Party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, during his maiden press conference last week titled ‘Triumphant Resumption of Abure-led NWC’ wherein he pleaded with all warring parties, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to sheathe their swords and join in the rebuilding process in the party.
“Peter Obi’s visit and speech on Tuesday during the FCT solidarity rally has been variedly described in some quarters as an endorsement on the Abure leadership being his very first visit after the successful National Convention of the party held in March. But to us as a party we cherish this visit on whatever nomenclature as a positive wind blowing on the party.
“We believe that very soon, the reconciliatory efforts will be consummated and metamorphosed into a political force that will usher in a government that will liberate Nigerians from the shackles of maladministration we are presently facing in the country.”
