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The Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, can rest assured that more Nigerian elder statesmen will announce their endorsement of his presidential bid.
This assurance is coming from the Spokesperson for the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, who boasted that the Labour Party has continued to gain acceptance from well-meaning Nigerians.
He disclosed this in an exclusive conversation with The Punch where he reacted to a claim that Obi was working for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Recall that the Senate Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, while speaking on a Channels Television political programme, ‘One-on-one,’ a few days ago had alleged that Obi is a forerunner for the former Lagos State Governor.
Debunking the claim, Tanko insisted that Obi's presidential movement was not an individual project, but rather one that cuts across all the states in the country.
Asked if the Labour Party presidential candidate would get more endorsements from relevant figures ahead of the February 25 election, Tanko said, ”Sure, as we speak today this particular quest is not about an individual, it is a collective fight to get Nigeria out of the present quagmire. So, every state is expected to work for this project.”
The Spokesman also made a reference to the words of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his New Year message to Nigerians in which he endorsed Obi and also urged the youths to be focused on the task ahead.
Tanko quoted Obasanjo as this: “None of the contestants is a saint but when one compares their character, antecedents, their understanding, knowledge, discipline and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great efforts required to stay focused on the job, particularly looking at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge.”
“Peter Obi is working for the Nigerian people and he has vowed that he is going to change the narrative of Nigeria from a consumption stage to a production stage. I think all those who are trying to associate themselves with the progress of Mr. Peter Obi-Datti are just trying to gain public notice. As we are speaking we are coasting to victory to the Nigerian people.”
He emphasised that, “This is just what the former President Olusegun Obasanjo said that if you are looking for somebody with track record, vision, character, and physical attributes with mental capacity that is exactly what Peter Obi epitomises. Peter Obi is strongly working to get Nigeria out of the woods.”