The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has reacted to the recent article by the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, which was critical of Obi’s presidential aspiration.
Responding through the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, Obi described the article as full of fallacies, misrepresentations and likely personal vendetta. He added that he has no time to pay attention or engage in an extended conversation with Soludo.
The response titled: “The People are our Priority”, was issued on Tuesday by the Spokesperson of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, Ndi Kato. It also accused Soludo of looking for the limelight in this election season.
Obi remains focused: The statement added that Peter Obi has bigger issues to worry about at this critical time. In other words, his work is well cut for him during this campaign season and he will not be distracted by Soludo’s scathing remarks. The statement said:
“We read with amusement and dismay, a very lengthy and belaboured treatise of an article, written by Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State, focused on our Presidential Candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi.
“It seems obvious that Professor Soludo is itching for the limelight, in this election season, perhaps fired up by possible understanding or alliance with our struggling political opponents.
“While we note the glaring fallacies, misrepresentations, personal insinuations and signs of personal vendetta in that long writeup, neither His Excellency Peter Obi, The Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, nor the Labour Party, for that matter, has any interest in an extended engagement with Prof Soludo this critical time when there is a bigger fish to fry.
“His Excellency Peter Obi has his work well cut out for him, this campaign season. Primarily, he is accelerating his reach-out and influence to all Nigerians, rural and urban, in all areas, regions and states; and firmly engaging them, on his critical and visionary plans to take the country from consumption to production. In doing this, Mr Peter Obi is firmly placing the Youths, intensive Agricultural revolution, and revamping of critical areas of the economy as part of the focal points in the drive to turn around our fortunes and take back our country.
“We, the Youths, spreading across partisan political lines, have found reason to place the highest level of trust and confidence in HE Peter Obi, and we are committed to continuing to a partnership with him, transparently, vigorously and creatively, to bring to fruition, the vital changes urgently required in this our country, of so much potential.
“We strongly believe that A New Nigeria is possible… and together with Peter Obi, we are working to make this a reality. This is our focus; this is our occupation.. and we shall not be distracted!’’
Governor Soludo’s outburst: Governor Soludo had on Monday published a lengthy article tackling the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, and his presidential bid under the Labour Party. In the article, he claimed that Peter cannot win the 2023 presidential election.
Soludo, who was a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), also argued that the presidential contest in the 2023 general election is between two individuals and two parties. He described the others as just mere exciting drama.
During an earlier interview on Channels Television, Soludo shot down talks of Peter Obi’s investments in a multinational brewery, saying that the investments are now worth next to nothing.
Obi had been using the investments when he was the governor of Anambra State as one of the selling points to the electorate in the 2023 presidential elections.
