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2023: How Previous Presidential Candidates Endorsed By Obasanjo Fared

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The decision of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to endorse the presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi has been heavily criticised by the camps of other leading presidential candidates.

Obasanjo in his New Year message recommended Obi to Nigerians, saying that the former Anambra State Governor has indisputable credibility in all facets of leadership.

Most of the politicians criticising the former President had on one occasion or another visited Obasanjo’s Otta Farm in search of endorsements but are now dismissing his recommendation of Obi as meaningless.

READ ALSO: More Wins For Peter Obi As Gov Ortom Backs Obasanjo’s Endorsement

Obasanjo has a history of endorsing candidates who ended up becoming President of the nation.

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Shehu Sani, a former federal lawmaker pointed out that when Obasanjo endorsed Musa Yar’adua as his successor in 2007, he made it unambiguously public, adding that it came to pass.

Obasanjo also endorsed the choice of Goodluck Jonathan as Yar’Adua’s running-mate and later backed the Bayelsa-born politician’s first term after he completed the tenure of the late Yar’Adua.

In 2014, Obasanjo declared his support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari.

Obasanjo, then member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, made his perspective known during an interview with Financial Times at the launch of his autobiography, My Watch, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya.

For Obasanjo then, Buhari was fully capable of ruling the country. He took the decision against Goodluck Jonathan’s second term ambition and it came to pass. Buhari became the first man to dethrone an incumbent President when he was declared winner of the 2015 presidential election.

Obasanjo had expressed confidence that Buhari, if elected, would effectively tackle insecurity and corruption.

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In addition, he noted that Buhari had the ability to restore the morale of the military to fight the insurgency in the North-East and other parts of the country.

READ ALSO: [JUST IN] 2023: Peter Obi Picks Obasanjo’s Ex-aide As Okupe’s Replacement

But the South West Agenda (SWAGA), a support group rooting for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu, has dismissed Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi.

The National Chairman of SWAGA, Senator Dayo Adeyeye said the victory of the former governor of Lagos State won’t be affected by the decision of the former president, which he described as empty and lacking substance.

The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of APC also described the endorsement of Obi by Obasanjo as useless, alleging that the former president hardly has strong electoral value.

Also the PDP PCC insisted that whether Obasanjo liked it or not, Atiku would be president in his lifetime.

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A group known as the Patriotic Youth Front of Nigeria, PYFN, has also rejected the former President’s endorsement of Obi.

The PYFN President, Maxwell Ogar alleged that Obasanjo can’t advise Nigerian youths because his hands are stained with blood.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Femi Fani-Kayode also played down the endorsement.

Among other angry reactions, Fani-Kayode, a spokesperson for the Tinubu/Shettima campaign council said Obi’s endorsement by Obasanjo is an exercise in futility.

Asked the significance of Obasanjo’s endorsement of Peter Obi for President, popular activist, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, told DAILY POST that it was a move in the right direction.

Endorsement of Obi by Obasanjo is well within his fundamental human rights. As an influential statesman, his opinion carries lots of weight which is why it has elicited varying reactions from a cross spectrum of politicians and parties,” he said.

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READ ALSO: Obasanjo, Clark’s Obi Endorsement Road To Tinubu’s Victory – Keyamo

He added, “Edwin Clarke’s endorsement of Peter Obi is a significant boost for the Labour Party because the man enjoys a fatherly position in the crude oil bearing communities. Both statesmen have the right to exercise their free speech.”

Nigerians look forward to seeing what becomes of the endorsement in the next few weeks when the citizens go to the polls.

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INEC Disowns LP’s National Convention

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has disowned Wednesday’s Labour Party‘s national convention held in Anambra.

The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said this in Abuja on Thursday.

Oyekanmi said that the conduct of the convention was not monitored by INEC, declining to state further why it was not monitored.

The LP had on Tuesday shifted the national convention from Umuahia in Abia to Nnewi, Anambra State.

Speaking on the venue change, the LP National Legal Adviser, Mr Kehinde Edun, told newsmen that the party had duly informed INEC about the change in venue and date.

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READ ALSO: [BREAKING] Edo Guber: Labour Party Aspirant Withdraws From Race, Cites Monetisation 

No, it is holding in Anambra. Nnewi, to be precise, not Umuahia in Abia State again. In fact, Umuahia was not even the first venue we chose. Benin was the first choice before we changed to Umuahia and now Nnewi.

“So, we are at liberty to pick any venue of our choice. We only need to inform INEC about the change in venue and the time,” Edun said.

Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 states that political parties shall give INEC at least 21 days’ notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting.

This includes the convention or meeting convened for “merger” and electing members of its executive committees and other governing bodies or nominating candidates.

(NAN)

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Labour Party Reserves 2027 Presidential Ticket For Peter Obi

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…Oti Gets automatic ticket for Abia Guber

The Labour Party’s highest decision making body, the National Convention, has announced it has reserved its 2027 ticket for the party’s leader, Mr. Peter Obi.

In the same breath, the party also announced a right of first refusal for the Abia State Governor, Alex Oti, should he decide to seek reelection on the party’s platform.

This decision was contained in a Communique issued after the party’s National Convention, held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday.

It was signed by the re-elected National Chairman of the party, Comrade Julius Abure, and National Secretary, Umar Faruk Ibrahim.

READ ALSO: Abure Re-elected Labour Party National Chairman; NLC Kicks

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The communique read in part: “The Convention in session based on the antecedents of the Presidential candidate before, during and after the 2023 General Election recommend that the 2027 Presidential ticket of the party be solely reserved for His Excellency, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, the National leader of the party.

“Furthermore, the Convention in session reviewed ongoing development and performance of its Governor in Abia state, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti and pass a vote of confidence on him and recommend the 2027 Abia state Gubernatorial ticket of the party be reserved for His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti.”

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Edo Guber: 17 Parties Beat INEC Deadline For Candidates’ Nomination

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Seventeen out of 18 political parties who conducted primaries for the forthcoming Edo State Governorship Election have beaten the deadline for the nomination of their candidates on the special portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja.

He said, “Following the conclusion of party primaries, 27 political parties have uploaded their candidates’ nomination forms for the Edo State Governorship Election by the deadline of 6 p.m. on March 24, 2024, when the dedicated portal automatically shut down.”

According to him, the personal particulars of the governorship candidates and their running mates will be published on Saturday, March 30, 2024, a week from the last date for the submission of nominations as provided in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.

READ ALSO: Edo 2024: Igbinedion Breaks Silence On Obaseki’s Handling Of PDP, Party’s Choice Of Running Mate

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The Commission shall publish the personal particulars by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the state headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo State.

“We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the documents. Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The Edo State Governorship Election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, September 21, 2024,” he stated.

 

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