The Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council Spokesperson, Tanko Yunusa, has said his party’s flagbearer, Peter Obi, has no links with the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Yunusa’s clarification followed allegations by a civil society group, Concerned Citizens Network, in a petition to the European Union, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom, alleging the proscribed group was supporting Obi for the forthcoming 2023 elections.
The group claimed that Obi has received tactic support from IPOB since he indicated interest to contest the 2023 presidential election, according to documents obtained by our correspondent.
However, Yunusa, in an interview with our correspondent said there was no iota of truth in the allegation, adding that it was made up to pitch Mr. Obi’s supporters in the South-East region. against him.
Yunusa said, “It is a total lie, the allegations are completely false. This is like saying Atiku Abubakar of the PDP is receiving tactic support from Boko Haram terrorists or Fulani herdsmen, or that the OPC and MC Oluomo’s group is giving tactic support for Bola Tinubu of the APC.
“The truth is that Peter Obi has never been associated with any terrorist organization, be it OPC, IPOB, or Boko Haram. He treats issues holistically as a nationalist and as someone who wants to come into power to treat issues accordingly.
“The records are there from what he did as Anambra governor for eight years. When the IPOB issue started in Anambra, Obi treated it as every other crime perpetrated in his state, and that was why throughout his tenure there was no single robbery in Anambra. That is a pointer.
“However, he has listening ears to listen to anyone who has any agitation against the country and against the state in order to find solution to it. That is how leaders behave, and that is what epitomizes Obi.
“But if a group of people believes in the candidature of Obi, that should not be termed as IPOB supporting him. That is a total lie, it’s a case of calling a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
“They’re only trying to disassociate us and demarket us amongst our people in the South-East. But we’re solid and determined to go all the way to win this election.”
Meanwhile, the CCN in letters addressed to the EU Mission in Nigeria, the US Ambassador in Nigeria, and the UK High Commission in Nigeria, said Obi continued to play to the gallery regarding the nefarious activities of IPOB in South-East Nigeria despite the wanton destruction of lives and properties.
The letters, signed by its President, Duru Chima and Secretary General, Ajibade Jacobs said the region has constantly come under IPOB threats which the group said Obi had refused to condemn nor articulate how he intends to tackle the threat posed by the IPOB if elected president in the forthcoming elections.
It said, “We have it on credible authority that IPOB has tactically endorsed Peter Obi’s presidential aspiration, which is mainly responsible for enlisting some known IPOB sympathizers into his presidential campaign council.
“On several occasions, Obi has systematically refused to make the IPOB threat to our democracy a campaign focus because the promoters of IPOB are his kinsmen and known financial contributors to his presidential campaign.
“This is a worrisome trend that would put the country in a precarious situation should Peter Obi be elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The deceitful game played by Peter Obi and his supporters can promote ethnic and religious tension in the country.
“In several public outings, he attempted to change the narrative concerning the formation and sustenance of IPOB by alluding that it was a creation of governors of states in the South-East. This, we gathered from reliable sources, was a part of the deal he entered with the group in return for support during the presidential elections.
“The overarching objective is to attack critical government establishments such as the Nigerian Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s offices to harass and intimidate faithfuls of other parties into submission to voting for Obi in the presidential elections.”
In the letter written to the US Ambassador to Nigeria, the group further alleged that Mr. Obi has been an IPOB patron, prior to his presidential aspiration under the Labour Party.
It added, “He extended logistic and financial support to the group while he was governor of Anambra State. It is also a known fact that IPOB has tactically avoided areas that are strongholds of Obi and have launched attacks in the regions that are not his stronghold by intimidating and harassing those that do not share in the ideology of Obi.
“Scores of lives have been lost and properties destroyed by the activities of IPOB. We have it on good authority that Peter Obi promised to upturn the proscription of IPOB as a terrorist group by the federal government.
“The recent damage by IPOB is a part of the script endorsed by Obi as an action strategy to ensure that other political parties do not make inroads in South-East Nigeria during the elections.
“The Peter Obi Presidential Campaign has also engaged a massive identification of supporters and patrons of other political parties in South-East Nigeria to cause bodily harm to them and destroy their businesses, weakening their support and preparations for the general elections.
“The Ambassador may wish to admit that, indeed, these are trying times in the country and South East region, in particular with the recent drive by IPOB to make the region unsafe for those that do not support the presidential aspiration of Obi.
“It is thus our passionate appeal to the USA to beam its searchlight on the activities of the Peter Ob: presidential campaign team to unravel the mystery behind the sudden resurgence of the notorious activities of IPOB.
“In a recent interview on Channels Television, Peter Obi was quoted as saying IPOB members live around him and do not constitute a threat to the country. He was quoted saying he would dialogue with IPOB if elected president.
“This is indeed unacceptable, hence this letter calling on the attention of the United States of America to look ints to an unholy alliance between Peter Obi and [POB. Nigeria cannot afford a president poised w propagate ethnoreligious conflict at this critical point of our existence.
“As critical stakeholders in our democracy, we wish to appeal for the urgent intervention of the USA in ensuring that Peter Obi and his supporters de not plunge Nigeria into a conflict of unimaginable proportions.”
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