The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, on Thursday, said Nigerians should not vote for him on account of his tribe or religion but on the strength of his competence, character and commitment to the youth.
Peter Obi stated this as he pledged to turn the country from being a consumer to a producing nation; if elected in 2023.
Obi made the pledge in Ibadan, after a meeting held behind closed doors with Governor Seyi Makinde in his office at Agodi, Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The LP Presidential candidate disclosed that his visit to Makinde was part of efforts at consulting with well-meaning individuals across party lines to discuss the future of the country.
Obi said although Nigeria had performed poorly in the last 62 years; it has survived as a nation and there was still a need to celebrate, adding that the next election should be about how to start building a new Nigeria everybody would be proud of.
He stated: “Next year election will not be based on ethnicity because there is no ethnic group that buys food at cheaper rate or there is no place where the poor people are happy, there is no place where there is job for everybody, or a place where there is uninterrupted electricity or any ethnic group that will say they are safe.
“It will not be based on religion, the Christians don’t buy bread cheaper neither do the Muslims. It is the same for everybody, everybody is suffering. I am not saying it is my turn but the turn of Nigerians to take back what belongs to them. It will not be by corruption and that is why we are going across to say let us save our country,” Obi stressed.
He disclosed that the 2023 election would be based on character and trust, capacity and commitment to do the right thing, saying he had made a commitment to be responsible and move, secure and build Nigeria, and nobody should vote for him because he is an Igbo man, Christian or because it is his turn
Obi noted: “I have said it that structure is the thing that kept us down. It is the structure of criminality, it is the structure that aids massive corruption that is what we want to remove. We must remove that structure for Nigeria to start working. We are doing good work, going across party lines to ensure Nigeria works.”
He noted that the structure of money sharing must be removed, as money sharing is the reason there are jobless people and the country is not working, with no investment in health, education and security, saying it is time to make things right and make use of the money the right way.
“People don’t share money in the other worlds because they want jobs. Our youths want a job, they are energetic. People don’t know where the next meal will come from and you are giving them money. When people talk about money, it gets me annoyed because that’s not what we have come to do,” Obi argued.
He promised to begin work by pulling the young ones out of poverty immediately after being voted into power, calling on all his supporters to be peaceful while calling for an issue-based campaign and issue-based election
“For the Obidient Group, remain peaceful, I want a campaign-based and issue-based election where candidates speak not through a spokesman or anybody, let them come and show their commitment,” Obi concluded.
The former Governor of Anambra State was accompanied by the Director General of his Campaign Organisation, Dr Doyin Okupe and a former governorship candidate of PDP in Anambra state, Mr Vincent Osigbo, among others.
Olusola Akintonde
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