Our loyalty to Peter Obi unshaken-Support Groups

By Chizitelu Chukwujindum

 

The United Coalition of Peter Obi Support Groups (UCPOSG), a coalition of support group established for the election of former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, as president of Nigeria in February 2023, says the  commitment of its members to that agenda remains unshaken.

The coalition’s position, made known on Sunday via a signed  statement, came in the wake of a report in the media that about 25 support groups were on the verge of renouncing their support for Mr. Obi over what they described as his high-handedness and penchant for operating independently of both the Labour Party and its Presidential Campaign Council.

The statement signed on behalf of the coalition by leaders of  three support groups-Yahaya Madaki
Convener, Obi Nationalist Movement; Ebohon Eseosa
President, Obidient New Nigeria Coalition, Chinwe Njemanze
Chairperson,  Peter Obi Amazons, and Olajide Fafowora
National Coordinator, UCPOSG, dismissed the report as deliberate falsehood intended to mislead Nigerians and to tarnish the image of its presidential candidate.

The UCPOSG said it ordinarily not have reacted to the false report but was constrained to do so inorder to disabuse the minds of Nigerians regarding the lie of a crack within the ranks of support groups for Mr. Obi.

“To set the records straight, there is no disquiet in the family of support groups actively ramping up support for the candidacy of His Excellency Peter Obi. The family remains united and committed to the project of electing him as Nigeria’s president come February 2023. We aver with every sense of responsibility that there is no strain in the relationship between him and the support groups. If any exists, it will only be in the imagination of the concocters of the vile and abhorrent drivel intended to smear the reputation of one of Nigeria’s finest sons.

“As a matter of fact, relations between the thousands of Peter Support Groups around the country and in the Diaspora and Mr. Obi himself, is as rosy and cooperative as ever. This relationship was re-enforced recently at a meeting between the two parties where he outlined his vision for a New Nigeria and extracted the continued support from the group to help him make this possible”, the group said in the statement.

UCPOSG said Mr. Obi is an internationally respected politician and businessman with decades of experience presiding over boards of leading companies and institutions in Nigeria and that accusing him of bandying false statistics is therefore the height of mischief.

The group noted that the Labour Party presidential candidate had at all times accurately purveyed facts and data to capture the true situation on national and international economic issues. It stated that at the last Townhall Meeting organized by Arise Television, Mr. Obi was fact-checked on some of his key pronouncements and was found to be correct on all of them.

“We make bold to say that the allegation of dishing out false statistics leveled against our candidate by this band of impersonators, is a clear case of ‘the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob’. This allegation, coming less than twenty four hours after the presidential candidate of the ruling party made the same baseless allegation, shows clearly where this is all coming from. Here in Nigeria, it is said among our rural folk that when a witch cries in the dead of the night and a child is found dead in the morning, there is no prize for guessing who the killer of the child is”, UCPOSG said.

Setting the record straight, UCPOSG said no support group is pulling out of the coalition of groups supporting the presidential candidacy of Mr. Obi because in their reckoning he is the individual best positioned to put Nigeria on the path to prosperity and progress.

“We also want to place on record that the three Support Groups, the Obi Nationalist Movement, Obidient New Nigeria Coalition and Peter Obi Amazons, mentioned in the reports as part of those planning to cut ties with His Excellency Peter Obi, remain irrevocably committed to the project of electing Peter Obi as president of Nigeria in February 2023.

“Finally, we wish to state unequivocally that the individual quoted in the story purporting to be Dr. Rejoice Okey, and said to be representing one of the support groups is a ghost unknown to us. He is a creation of the orchestrators of this mischief whose sole aim is to deny Nigerians the opportunity for good and human governance of our country to pave the way for their unrelenting assault on the on the national treasury”, the statement said.

SEE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:

UNITED COALITION OF PETER OBI SUPPORT GROUPS

Plot 1657, Adetokumbo Ademola Crescent Wuse 11, FCT Abuja  08050790611

PETER OBI SUPPORT GROUPS REMAIN COMMITTED TO HIS CANDIDACY

Our attention has been drawn to a report in newspapers and online blogs indicating an imminent withdrawal of support for Labour Party’s presidential candidate, His Excellency, Peter Obi, by some Support Groups established to facilitate the election ot the former Governor of Anambra State as President of Nigeria.

The report, titled, “OBIDIENT: 25 support groups to quit Peter Obi’s campaign over candidate’s false statistics’’, said as many as 25 support groups hitherto working to ensure Mr. Obi’s election as the next President of Nigeria, are on the verge of parting ways with him over what they termed his “high-handedness and his penchant for reeling false statistics”.

The unsigned report alluded to tension in the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (LPPCC) and Mr. Obi not “carrying others along in planning”.

Ordinarily, we do not make a point of duty to join issues with faceless individuals seeking the attention of the public through underhand means. We are, however, constrained to respond this time because in addition to spreading what is obviously deliberate falsehood against our presidential candidate and misinforming the Nigerian public, this faceless group of charlatans, has also committed an act of impersonation by claiming to be representatives of three member groups in our coalition.

To set the records straight, there is no disquiet in the family of support groups actively ramping up support for the candidacy of His Excellency Peter Obi. The family remains united and committed to the project of electing him as Nigeria’s president come February 2023. We aver with every sense of responsibility that there is no strain in the relationship between him and the support groups. If any exists, it will only be in the imagination of the concocters of the vile and abhorrent drivel intended to smear the reputation of one of Nigeria’s finest sons.

As a matter of fact, relations between the thousands of Peter Support Groups around the country and in the Diaspora and Mr. Obi himself, is as rosy and cooperative as ever. This relationship was re-enforced recently at a meeting between the two parties where he outlined his vision for a New Nigeria and extracted the continued support from the group to help him make this possible.

Mr. Obi is an internationally respected politician and businessman with decades of experience presiding over boards of leading companies and institutions in Nigeria. Accusing him of bandying false statistics is therefore the height of mischief. He has at all times accurately purveyed facts and data to capture the true situation on national and international economic issues. Indeed, at the last Townhall Meeting organized by Arise Television, His Excellency, Peter Obi was fact-checked on some of his key pronouncements and was found to be correct on all of them.

We make bold to say that the allegation of dishing out false statistics leveled against our candidate by this band of impersonators, is a clear case of ‘the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob’. This allegation, coming less than twenty four hours after the presidential candidate of the ruling party made the same baseless allegation, shows clearly where this is all coming from. Here in Nigeria, it is said among our rural folk that when a witch cries in the dead of the night and a child is found dead in the morning, there is no prize for guessing who the killer of the child is.

For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state as follows:

“No support group is pulling out of the coalition of groups supporting the presidential candidacy of His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi. We are fully in support of him because we see him as the individual best positioned to put Nigeria on the path to prosperity and progress.

“We also want to place on record that the three Support Groups, the Obi Nationalist Movement, Obidient New Nigeria Coalition and Peter Obi Amazons, mentioned in the reports as part of those planning to cut ties with His Excellency Peter Obi, remain irrevocably committed to the project of electing Peter Obi as president of Nigeria in February 2023.

“Finally, we wish to state unequivocally that the individual quoted in the story purporting to be Dr. Rejoice Okey, and said to be representing one of the support groups is a ghost unknown to us. He is a creation of the orchestrators of this mischief whose sole aim is to deny Nigerians the opportunity for good and human governance of our country to pave the way for their unrelenting assault on the on the national treasury”.

Signed:

Yahaya Madaki
Convener,
Obi Nationalist Movement

Ebohon Eseosa
President,
Obidient New Nigeria Coalition

Chinwe Njemanze
Chairperson,
Peter Obi Amazons

Olajide Fafowora
National Coordinator,
United Coalition of Peter Obi Support Groups