By CHRISTIAN NJOKU
CALABAR- The Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council, Cross River Chapter, on Wednesday asserted that calling the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, a sectional leader was derogatory and insulting.
Speaking at a sensitisation meeting in Calabar, Prof. James Epoke, Chairman of the council, said any Nigerian from any tribe or religion is eligible to vie for the presidency of the nation.
Epoke said with Obi as the president of Nigeria, there is hope for a better nation free from bad economic policies and corruption.
“Saying Obi represents a tribe or religion makes no sense because a genius can come from anywhere, that doesn’t make him sectional.
“I have studied him right from when he was the governor of Anambra and his antecedent is clear, it is difficult for you to see a governor who left money in government coffers like he did.
“Many people go into office to accumulate wealth for themselves but Obi left money for the next governor for that, I think he is a saviour,” he said.
On the issue of insecurity in the nation, the professor said poverty and unemployment were the driving forces, adding that the nation needed to concentrate on production through which its teeming youths would be employed.
He also added that as contained in the plan of the LP presidential candidate, the nation needs to employ technology to check the malaise of insecurity after ensuring that poverty and unemployment have been reduced.Similarly, Mr Ogar Osim, Chairman of the party in the state, said the 2023 election is the time for Nigerians to get it right by voting the right candidate.
Osim, who doubles as the Governorship candidate of the party in Cross River, said the ambition of the presidential candidate of the party is divine, adding that no evil manipulation would deter him.“
LP structure is strong in the 196 wards, 3,281 polling units and every family in Cross River, so, we cannot collapse our structure for any party, rather we expect other parties to collapse theirs and join us,” he said.
The governorship candidate also used the opportunity to appeal to the electorates to replicate their votes for the presidential candidate of the party by voting for all other candidates of the party in the state.
Appealing to all candidates to collect their permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), he said the party had given all its candidature to people with competence and who will complement the good works of the party’s presidential candidate. (NAN)