By Chuks Eke
Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has marshalled out some reasons which convinced him that his principal, Peter Obi would emerge victorious during the February 25 presidential election in the country.
Loading ...He said that the pendulum is actually swinging towards Peter Obi because among his opponents from the two foremost rival political parties, Obi stands out as the only incorruptible candidate with a clean record during his political career, while others were found to have committed political blunders at one time or the other throughout their political careers.
Datti who spoke yesterday at the Palace of the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, during a courtesy visit, said apart from Peter Obi being the most decent and qualified among his fellow contestants, 2023 is the turn of Ndigbo and turn of the Christians to produce the next president of Nigeria.
“Your Majesty, I wish to inform you that we have gone round the records of all the past governors that have ruled various states in Nigeria and we discovered that it is only my principal, Peter Obi that kept a clean record and left money in the government coffers while leaving office which was why the anti graft agencies have never invited him for any questioning but other past governors plundered the treasury and left an empty or indebted treasuries”.
“Moreover, Datti continued, apart from Peter Obi having clean records, coming from the required geopolitical zone and from the Christian religious sect, Obi is the appropriate person Nigeria needs now to unite this country and at the same time revive the dwindling nation’s economy”.
“On a more serious note, Nigerians should avail themselves of this golden opportunity God has offered them to elect Obi as the next president of Nigeria so that he would use his wealth of experience and qualification to steer this country to the right path or else we leave to suffer from our lifetime mistake in the future”.
“All we need is free and fair elections from the umpires, 100 percent votes from the Ndigbo and the rest will become a history, Datti assured Obi of Onitsha as he commended the monarch for his decency, dignity and leadership qualities which is known all over the country.
Responding, Obi Achebe who welcomed Datti to his Ime Obi Ancient Palace, assured him that traditional rulers in the entire Igbo land are working hard to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the country and for the electorate to vote according to their conscience, irrespective of whether they were given money or not by overzealous politicians.
Obi Achebe who is also the Chairman of Southeast Council of Traditional rulers, as well as Chairman of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, also briefly read a communiqué the Southeast traditional rulers council issued after their Wednesday meeting in Enugu.
In the communiqué, Obi of Onitsha said all the traditional rulers in Igbo land have been directed to organize a town hall meeting in their respective communities to sensitize their subject on the need to shun threats of election boycott or worst still sit-at-home and come out en mass on the election days to cast their votes for any candidate of their choice.
Obi Achebe appealed to INEC to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. He also appealed to law enforcement agencies in the country to ensure adequate protection of the electorate from the menace of political thugs and unknown gunmen.
