The Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign organisation has stated that its flag bearer, Peter Obi, will no longer take part in debates for candidates that feature representatives instead.
The director-general of the campaign, Doyin Okupe, stated this on Monday at a media briefing in Abuja.
This comes after Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were absent from a town hall meeting set up by Arise TV on Sunday.
While Ifeanyi Okowa, vice-presidential candidate of the PDP, stood in for his party, there was no representative for APC.
The statement
“On Monday, 22nd August, 2022, the Nigerian Bar Association invited the leading presidential candidates to address her annual bar conference and the Nigerian people at this epic occasion. The presidential candidate of the APC sent his vice-presidential candidate to represent him.
“Again, on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 13th and 14th, 2022, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry invited the major presidential candidates to interact with them and the Nigerian people, on their economic and general policy initiatives as a prelude to the presidential election.
“While his excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, and other invited candidates appeared in person, the presidential candidate of the APC sent his vice-presidential candidate to represent him.
“The Labour Party presidential candidate, his excellency, Mr Peter Obi, and the presidential campaign organisation totally condemns this disregard for the electorate and the people, by these absentee presidential candidates.
“We firmly and irrevocably call on the Nigerian people, in entirety, to reject any presidential candidate that habitually and deceptively treats the rights of the people to hear directly from him, with disrespect, dishonour and ignominy.
Not acceptable anymore
It added that Mr Peter Obi “will only be prepared to mount the podium, with their peers in this presidential race”.
I’ve had enough
Peter Obi has hit out at Dino Melaye, a spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential campaign.
Obi lost his temper after Melaye described his supporters as ‘noisemakers’.
He also interrupted the former Anambra State governor’s speech with snide remarks and gestures.
The drama played out at a Townhall meeting of Arise Television on Sunday night.
Reacting, Obi said: “I won’t take this. That colonel is an NNPP person, and you’re saying it’s Obi People. Dino, please stop that!
“I have taken enough from you here. Why are you always calling me?”
This is coming at a time the former Kogi West Senator warned Nigerians against voting for Obi.
Melaye insisted Obi would not win in 2023 because the ‘Euphoria’ around him was gradually ‘dying’.
