Politics

Presidential Election: ‘This Is What I’m Thinking’, Peter Obi Addresses Nigerians [Full Speech]

Published

1 year ago

February 23, 2023

Two days to the presidential election in Nigeria, the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, has addressed Nigerians.

In a lengthy statement on Wednesday night, the Anambra-born politician shared his thoughts on the state of the nation and what Nigerians stand to gain from his government if elected as president.

Obi wants Nigerians to elect a leader with a proven character, who is competent, committed and compassionate.

Here is the full text of Peter Obi address to Nigerians:

Fellow Nigerians, it’s 3 days to go and in my quiet moments I know that Nigerians are wondering what Peter Obi is thinking. I will share my thoughts here because I have Nigeria on my mind!

We are currently at a crossroads. We need a leader to show us the way forward. We need a prudent president, a principled president who has what it takes to lead.

As we say in Naija: “We need person who sabi road; a person we go follow make this country better.” A new Nigeria is possible. We can make it.

We have national elections coming up next Saturday, on the 25th of February 2023. The presidential election is the most critical because we will be electing the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It is the only chance to elect a leader of our choice. We must choose someone who can solve our problems. This is an essential and existential election. It is a make-or-break moment in our history. Future generations will not forgive us if we make a wrong choice.

The person of your choice must have these four qualities minimally:

Character: A person with a proven record of fairness, honesty, and trust. We need an honest person with a verifiable background: We must know his real name. We must know where he said he schooled.

We must know people who knew him then. We must know where he has been, what he has done, what he has said, and what he has been doing these past months during the campaigns.

Competence: Someone who has the proven capability and the drive to move us forward. The person must have the required skills and must show the physical and mental ability to manage the affairs of Nigeria.

The president we need must present the correct image of Nigeria abroad and stand tall among his peers at the United Nations and other international forums.

Commitment: We need someone who is committed and has the capacity to stop official corruption in this country. We have heard far too many talks about change. Enough of empty promises! We are tired of hearing sorry stories.

We want real changes, not endless pity parties and porous pledges.

Compassion: We want a leader who is concerned about the welfare of Nigerians, not his clique of praise singers. Our fellow citizens are in IDP camps. I spent Christmas and New Year with them.

They should be home. People die daily, kidnapped, killed, and raped. No one in the government offers actionable concerns. It must end. We need a leader with the courage to do whatever it takes to bring relief to our citizens in distress.

Let us perfect the federation of our forefathers. Every generation is destined to make the country better. The post-Independence generation has arrived. This is our turn. This is our time. This is our chance to make a difference.

Making the same old choice will yield the same result. We are Nigerians. We are rational citizens. We make rational decisions. Let us keep a date with our destiny. Let us make a new nation for future generations.

The world is watching. We must take our destined position as the giant of Africa. You and I know the right thing to do. The greatest lie one can tell is a lie to one’s soul. If you are still undecided, please talk to yourself. Allow your conscience to guide you.

No one is perfect but, ask yourself, “Should I choose someone I do not wish as a role model for my children?

Be introspective. Ask: Could I live with myself for making the wrong choice just for a few new naira notes or because of my region and my religion?

I believe you will make the right choice and vote for the Labour Party: LP (Mama. Papa, and Pikin): The election is not about Obi and Baba-Ahmed. This election is not about our ethnic groups, African traditional religion, Christianity, or Islam.

It is not about our sacred churches, mosques, and shrines. The election is about the future of this land that God gave to our great generation.

Why Labour? I will tell you.

We want to move our economy from importing and consuming products to producing, consuming less, and exporting more. That is the essence of Consumption to Production.

Datti and I will work hard every day and with everyone. Many things went wrong in the past 24 years. There are enough blames to go round. We will not share blame. We will share hope. No more excuses. In life, what matters more is not what happened to us;

it is what we do with what happened to us. Honesty is the best policy. We must be truthful to ourselves. Truth is the essence of life. I pride myself in striving to be an upright citizen.

I endeavour to do the right things. Fairness is the golden rule: do unto others as you wish them to do unto you. When I fail, I learn.

Our revered Chinua Achebe stated that our humanity depends on the humanity of others. We are in this world with great gifts. Our world presents challenges and opportunities. Challenges stimulate our creativity.

We will use the opportunity of vast resources in our God-given earth to meet those challenges confronting humanity. The welfare of one is the welfare of all.

My modesty is not words of mouth: I live it. We can feed off each other’s simplicity. By producing more and consuming less, we can balance our needs, not wants,and make society more equitable. It makes no sense fighting over issues that require rational thinking & good conscience

I love this country. It is not perfect. Nothing is perfect. Perfection is a continuum. The labours of our heroes’ past must not be in vain.

Please come out and vote for Labour Party (LP) Please subscribe to success, to the triumph of a tested, trusted, and verified leadership. Do not renew the subscription to suffering, to the sorrow of tomorrow.

A new Nigeria is possible. Let’s make it happen like a TEAM: Together, everyone achieves more.

These past months have been quite a journey. I have met millions of fellow Nigerians from all walks of life: men and women, young and old, rich and poor.

I thank our vice-presidential candidate, my brother, my friend and partner for coming with me on this journey. I thank the Obidients and my core team. History will record this campaign as the best: focused, friendly, mega rallies with no shịshị, respectful, and zero violence.

Salute to all of us!

We all made it happen: organically structured, passionate, united, and verified!

I ask you, my people, to empower me as your president and commander-in-chief. I will be in charge. I have the requirements for correct leadership: character, competence, commitment, compassion, hard work, honesty, humanity, and humility.

I have the courage and the heart with which to deliver the dividends of democracy freely and fairly to our people. Where we fail, hold me responsible; where we succeed, kudos to you. We can change this country. If it takes us making the supreme sacrifice,

Let us make it for a greater tomorrow.
I am most grateful that you found me worthy to take the torch and lead. I would not have come this far if you did not follow me. You are my strength, the wings that power the historic Obidient movement.

On behalf of all our dedicated team, I promise to deliver on all core values.

These are my thoughts. This coming Saturday, let us promote Family Value – by voting for the Labour Party—LP: Mama, Papa, and Pikin.

Vote Labour correctly, peacefully, and hopefully. Labour Party: Forward Ever! -PO

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

“All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.

Politics

Defection: Edo Govt, Ex-PDP BoT Member, Idahosa In Verbal War

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

Edo State government and a former member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, Charles Idahosa, on Monday traded words over the latter defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that Idahosa resigned
formally resigned who had last month resigned from PDP, rejoined the APC on Monday in Benin City.

Speaking during his formal presentation to the APC in Benin City, he noted that he left the party four years ago due to internal crisis.

Idahosa added that he dumped the PDP because of what he described as the “damning deeds of the Obaseki-led administration in the last four years”.

He took a swipe at Obaseki for saying that PDP would win the forthcoming September governorship election with 80 per cent of votes.

“I thank God, four years later we all are wiser now. Like the Secretary said, I was a founding member of ACD, ACN and APC. The damage we did four years ago, the APC never remained the same.

“But I am glad we are back to the family. I was nominated to the Board of the Railway when I was in the APC. When I moved to the PDP, I wrote to resign my membership but it was rejected and showed my wide acceptance.

“At 71, I am not here to contest position with anybody, I am here to work. I want to urge APC to keep their eyes on the ball. It is not over until it is over.”

While lambasting Governor Obaseki for his comment that those leaving PDP have been given money, he noted that his greatest regret was not allowing the governor to resign after his first four years in office.

“When he came to beg me like a weather beaten chicken, how much did he give to me? Anytime he goes religious gathering he would say those leaving PDP have been given money.

“He came to me three times in my house to say he wants to resign, that he was tired of being governor but I appealed to him, telling him it was not about him but Benin interest.”

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare alleged that Idahosa was never a PDP member.

Nehikhare noted that Idahosa was also never a BOT member of the party, because the party in the state rejected his nomination.

He alleged that it was as a result of the rejection that he found his way back to APC.

“I heard that he claimed to be a member of BOT of PDP but I want to challenge him to tell us when he was sworn in as a member of PDP BOT. He was not a fit and proper person. Even though he was nominated he was shunned by the party.

“It was this that drove him back to APC which he never left in the first place. He was holding on to the board appointment which was offered him while in APC prior to 2020 governorship election.

“He has reached the end of his political career. He has nothing to offer any political party or any group he joins because he believes in bread and butter politics,” Nehikhare said.

Politics

Edo Guber: Ex-PDP BoT Member Joins APC, Says ‘I Regret Supporting Obaseki

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

A former member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Charles Idahosa on Monday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he regretted supporting Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki four-year ago.

Idahosa said his greatest regret is stopping Governor Godwin Obaseki from resigning in 2020 after he was frustrated out of the APC in his bid to seek reelection on the party’s platform.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after his declaration for the APC at his residence in Benin City, with leaders of the APC in attendance, Idahosa said his return to the APC is homecoming.

The former Information Commissioner in Edo State said in 2020, the governor had cried to him over the ill -treatment meted on him by his predecessor and National chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole and was considering resigning.

Idahosa noted that Obaseki was at the verge of giving up to allow the APC to pick another governorship candidate, but he (Idahosa) encouraged him to keep hope alive and he personally fought the battle for the governor to win his reelection .

Idahosa, however, lamented that Obaseki utterances during the inauguration of the PDP Campaign Council for the 2024 election was heartless and uncomplimentary when he accused the defectors from PDP as having received huge sums of money before their defection.

The former BoT member of the PDP, while urging the Edo APC leadership to work in synergy ahead of the governorship election, said that the greatest misfortune to befall the APC is for Godwin Obaseki to install a successor.

Idahosa who pledged his support for the governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Monday Okphebholo, said street survival instinct not doctoral degrees (PhD) or big grammar is needed as a criteria for the next governor that will succeed Obaseki.

He urged Edo people and the APC to put the damning deeds of the Obaseki-led government of 4 years ago in the past and unite to stop the governor and the PDP governorship candidate from taking over the governance of the state in the September 21st governorship election.

He said, “Four years later, we are all wiser. I am back to the APC, which is my family. It is homecoming for me and I am very comfortable. At 71 , I am not going to be a threat to anybody. I am joing the APC to work. Nobody should be afraid or scared that Charles Idahosa is joining the APC because I won’t be contesting any position. “

Earlier, the APC state secretary, Lawrence Okah, while receiving Idahosa into the party, said the former member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Charles Idahosa is a man of honour and a foundation member of the APC.