An Igbo socio-political group, Omalegwuoku Progressive Initiative (OPI) (Igbo Kwenu for Asiwaju/Shettima) has taken a swipe presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, over his comment about President Bola Tinubu’s Chicago University University certificate.
Specifically, it described Obi’s remarks as a national insult to all Nigerians who it said freely voted for President Tinubu in the February 25 presidential poll.
Obi had, at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, called on the president to clarify his state of origin and educational qualifications for Nigerians.
But, moving swiftly in defence of Tinubu, Global president of the group, Ginika Tor, said it was ironic for Obi to be asking for Tinubu who had governed Lagos State for eight years to tell Nigerians the state he hails from.
She said, “I had already put up my speech and suddenly I realised that my brother whom I respect so much, Peter Obi, who is also the presidential candidate of the Labour party, came up on ARISE TV to say that our president, a man that is the number one man in this country, should come out and explain his state of origin.
“So by now, a man who served 8 years as a governor, you don’t know his state? That he should tell us his background educationally; is that right?
“It is an insult to Nigeria as a nation. For you to call out our president who was massively supported, elected, confirmed and validated as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to come and stand before who? To say he’s from this state, from this country, from this region, from this locality, does he owe us that? What the president owes us now is to take us to our destination of choice.”
The group expressed dispapointment over Obi’s comment, describing him as a man it respected so much, and a brother who stood in front to run for Igbos.
Ginika Tor who is also a commissioner with the Federal Character Commission (FCC) continued: “It may not be his turn now, but it could come in future. But whatever he does now is going to play out in the future. So, let us be cautious and let all Igbos not be misled by this press interview that our brother granted ARISE.
“We are telling our brother, Obi, calm down, if God wanted you to be there, He would have made you the President. He did not. There is a lot of distraction on this President. Are you not bothered with the issues of the world?…”
Tor further called out the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, saying he is still suffering from a severe post-election loss trauma and a near-presidency syndrome, following his defeat at the polls in his fifth presidential contest.
She added that the former vice president’s post-election trauma ballooned, following the unsuccessful prosecution of his brief by his legal team at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) which filed a petition lacking in substance and direction.
Tor stressed that the group initially chose to refrain from making comments on the issue because it was before the court, but decided to debunk the lies being told by such a person like Atiku who ought to have placed patriotism and national interest above his ambition to be the number one man in Nigeria.
She said seeking to impugn the character of Nigerians before the international community in the manner he is going smacks of desperation.
