Fides Media Living the Faith
By Peter Nwasike
Anambra indigenes have decided to join the National Advocacy for Peter Obi to become President of Nigeria in 2023, by organizing One Million-Man March. This was made known at their solidarity meeting held at Paradise Hotel, Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area, July 3. The meeting was convened by Chief (Barr) Obum Osakwe and attended by many support groups of Peter Obi for Presidency 2023.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Osakwe said that Igbo people had been in the vanguard for Nigeria’s political and economic prosperity, from the colonial days when their son, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, played leading roles to secure Independence in 1960. He regretted that after Zik’s academic and practical efforts to get Independence, other ethnic groups conspired to deny Zik of his merited position as president.
Chief Osakwe also recalled that after military rule in 1999, another Igbo son, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, also played leading roles to form a national party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and people expected him to be president to succeed the military, but yet, other ethnic groups conspired against Ekwueme.
He also noted that after Peter Obi served Anambra State meritoriously as governor and later discovered that PDP had national spread for greater Nigeria’s project and he defected to PDP in 2014, and in 2019, based on merit, PDP adopted him as the presidential running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Barr. Osakwe noted that it was expected that based on merit and loyalty of Ndigbo to PDP, the South East Zone should get the favour of PDP for the slot of presidency and adopt Peter Obi for that. He commended Peter Obi for decamping from PDP to Labour Party, and still kept his presidential ambition. Barr. Osakwe said that he was a card carrying member of PDP but now had decided to join in supporting Peter Obi in Labour Party to realize the Igbos’ rightful position in the politics of Nigeria.
The Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Chief Joe Uzoegwu, expressed gratitude to Chief Osakwe for his virtues of brotherhood and magnanimity to host the meeting. He said that other people from all over Nigeria were advocating for Obi’s presidency and had demonstrated it with their own One Million-Man March, adding that it was proper to do so in Anambra State, Obi’s home.
He encouraged all good supporters of Peter Obi to ensure that they possessed their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and be ready to vote for Peter Obi. He described politics as a capital intensive project that required the contribution of all in time, talent, treasure, and as they were not expecting Obi to foot the bill, they, the supporters, should do so.
The leader of another ardent support-group, called PETER OBI LIBERATION TEAM (POLIT), Mrs. Sylvia Obi, called on genuine supporters of Obi to disregard any monetary inducement to give them ephemeral joy, but to prefer the quality leadership of Obi that would guarantee them permanent joy in future.
A Communiqué was produced after the meeting to articulate their resolution, among which are that all other members of other political parties who had defected to Labour Party should register with the party in their respective wards and become card carrying members of LP. He urged everyone to ensure that they possessed Permanent Voter Card (PVC).
‘All genuine members of Labour Party and supporters of Peter Obi should refuse monetary inducements from dubious money bags. they will actively participate in the proposed One – Million – Man March for Peter Obi for Presidency 2023.
The communiqué was read by Hon. Joe Emebo, the Chairman of Labour Party in Idemili South Local Government Area. Many people attended the occasion.