*Appeals to the Obidients to vote for LP candidates across the country on Saturday
The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi,Monday stated that it is the height of insult to God Almighty for some people to insinuate that God wills acts of brigandage or electoral fraud on any nation.
He rather blammed people who turn God’s purpose to mankind upside-down by attributing their dirty and negative attitudes to God.
Obi has said that the problems facing Nigeria stem form some people trying to attribute “what is wrong and unacceptable as God’s wish for the country”.
Obi, speaking as a guest on the Arise Television, Morning Show interview programme, on Monday, was reacting to some Nigerians who attribute the declaration of the February 25, 2023, Presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to God’s wish for Nigeria, as balderdash and very far for the will of God of justice and fairnes.
The LP candidate insisted that “God doesn’t wish bad things for people and it’s these things that the Obidient Movement is trying to let people understand and the narrative pushed around for long that Godvcan wish something evidently evil to Nigeria”.
He said: “The problem of some people in Nigeria, and which is why corruption thrives in the country, is accepting what is unacceptable. That’s not God’s wish.
“God’s wish is when you do the right thing. Is it God’s wish that we remain poor as a country, that over 130 million people live below poverty level, that we get kidnapped, despite His abundant blessings on us?”
He said that Nigeria has remained decadent in continuous state of moral decline because they keep accepting what is wrong and dragging God into it.
He noted that the Obidient Movement is in the Nigerian political system to change it for the better and create a new egalitarian society where things will begin to move on well as they iught to be.
The former Anambra state Governor said it’s a saddening fact that after 63 years as a nation, Nigeria is yet unable to conduct a credible election, describing the February 25 Presidential election as the worst in Nigeria’s history, considering that the Electoral Act 2022 was enacted to guarantee free, fair and credible elections, but discarded by INEC and entrenched interests.
Obi said that while he keeps pursuing his mandate through legal and peaceful means, it’s disheartening that rule of law is being treated with levity by the INEC, a public institution maintained by taxpayer’s money.
He reiterated that what he is challenging is the process and not the person declared as winner, steessing that he will not back out until the right things are done, “because doing and accepting the wrong thing is what has kept us down as a nation”.
On statements attributed to him from some characters speaking for their principals, Obi said since they were not on the ballot, he would prefer to speak when those he contested with speak, but emphasised that the 97 per cent votes he got in Anambra state shouldn’t disturb anybody because he was expecting 100% votes because the people know him and believe in him.
“I have been truthful to them, ditto for the entore South-East and other states where I received the lion’s share of the votes cast because they believe and trust in me.
“They forgot that PDP polled over 95% in Anambra state in 2019 when I was just a running mate. In 2023 when I became the main candidate, I am even surprised I did not get 100% of the votes cast”.
On the claim by some persons, inclsuing the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, that he took away part of PDP votes and helped Ahmed Bola Tinubu to win, Obi said he was not contesting to help anybody, but to win and by records, Nigerians made that happen despite the abracadabra by the INEC.
Obi also gave clarifications on his support for Labour Party governorship candidates in all the states whwre LP fielded candidates, saying that he supports LP ticket holders, and in particular spoke of his support for the LP governorship candidate in Enugu, Abia, Lagos, and Plateau states, among others and directed his supporters to vote for them.
On the ethnic tension in Lagos state over his victory on the February 25 poll ahead of the governorship election, Obi said it’s not ethnic, but some mischievous persons trying to create such an impression, pointing out that many more non-Igbo and Yoruba who share the aspiration for new Nigeria voted for him.
He explained that even if Ndigbo voted for him, it was not the first time they would be voting for people, pointing out that they had voted massively like this for Olusegun Obadanjo, Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, stressing that then, “all these brouhahas did not happen”.
On a possible partnership with the PDP, Obi said dismissed such, saying there is nothing like that, stressing that “we are challenging a process that is wrong created by INEC to serve a particular purpose”.
