By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 Presidential Election in Nigeria, Mr Peter Obi, says against all odds, he will emerge president of Nigeria sooner or later.
Stonix News reports that Mr Obi is in court with the announced winner of the just-concluded election, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on grounds the latter shouldn’t have been declared winner.
Obi said he was convinced in his spirit that he would be President, saying he’s not on transit or wasting his time as since people are wont to believe.
The LP candidate made this clear during the launch of a book written in his honour: “Peter Obi: Many Voices, One Perspective,” in Awka, Anambra State.
Obi said: “Anyone who thinks I’m on transit is wasting his time. Let me tell you, I must be the president of this country. I’m sure of that. If it is not today, it must be tomorrow.
“Other people who want to be, should come and tell us what they want to do, and how to do it.
“This is my country; I don’t have dual citizenship. If anyone thinks I am going to run away from Nigeria, they are lying.
“I have three engagements in Anambra and Lagos today. I will be speaking in Lagos tonight. We will not leave Nigeria.
“I am not in a hurry to become the president, but I know it must happen.
“For three years I was in court in Anambra to reclaim my governorship, just to challenge the process.
“Many people tried to discourage me, but I said even if the entire four years tenure elapsed for us to prove a point and correct the process, I will be fulfilled.
“My argument is that, let’s do what is right. I always tell everyone that I will not give people money to do the wrong thing.”
The former governor of Anambra State said although he had had a close work relationship with Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman, he’s never met with him since he became chairman of the electoral umpire.
“I have been the chairman of a committee; TETFUND committee, and Prof Mahmood was my member.
“We know ourselves, but when he became INEC chairman, I have never met him. I told him, ‘you’re an umpire, just do what is right,” he averred.
While insisting on forthrightness in public service to the nation, Mr Obi further opined that “If you have the chance to do the right thing, and you insist on perpetuating anarchy, then, it will consume everybody one day. I insist that we must do the right thing.
“I was in an event yesterday in Abuja, and it was World Food Organisation. I listened to report that stated that Nigeria will face intense hunger in years to come.
“It is Nigeria that will face hunger, not Peter Obi.
“The report listed Borno, Adamawa and Yobe as the states that will be worse hit, but those three states put together are five times larger in land mass of Israel, yet Egypt exports food, but Nigeria cannot feed itself.
“So we must cultivate a habit of doing the right thing. If we don’t do the right thing, it will consume us some day.”
Meanwhile, a member of the editorial board of the book, Prof Chinyere Okunna, in her remarks, said the book launch was aimed at raising funds to finance OBI’s petition at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).
“We believe in Obi. He is not a saint, but among all the people who contested to become president, none comes close to him in humility, education, love of the people, experience and knowledge.
“Litigation is a very capital intensive project, and we want to support him through this launching.
“It was very clear that Obi won the election, but we want to call on the judiciary to be upright in their judgement and do the right thing,” she said.
What's your reaction?
