By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
ELDER statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, and governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, have endorsed the candidacy of Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) for the 2023 general elections.
Chief Clark announced his position at a news briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
The elder statesman based his endorsement of Mr Obi, on traits he believes are critical to leading the country.
He cited honesty, trust and transparency, all of which, he said, Mr Obi displayed when he was governor of Anambra State.
Chief Clark called on Mr Obi to tackle the issues of the injustices and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region if elected as President.
The Ijaw leader’s backing is the second high-profile endorsement to be received by Mr Obi in three days.
Meanwhile, the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom’s endorsement comes barely 48 hours after former President Olusegun Obasanjo released a six-page letter endorsing the former Anambra State governor.
Ortom is one of five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) known as the G5 or Integrity Group. Others are Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).
The governors have refrained from campaigning for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar amid opposition to the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu coming from the same region as the standard bearer.
Ortom’s Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Terver Akase, in a statement on Tuesday, said the governor “strongly recommends Peter Obi to Nigerians as the man who has the capacity to effectively tackle the economic, security and other challenges facing the country.”
Akase noted that the governor is convinced that Obi “possesses the qualities of a leader who will be a true President of this country by guaranteeing justice, equity and fairness for all Nigerians.”
Ortom said the President that Nigeria needs at this “challenging time” in its history is one who understands the urgent need to unite the people and speedily initiate policies and actions to redirect the ship of the nation on the path of growth and development.
According to him, Peter Obi has all those qualities.
Stonix News had reported that former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday January 1, 2023 also threw his weight behind the LP presidential candidate.
In his 2023 New Year message personally signed by the ex-President, Obasanjo described Obi as his mentee and said the former Anambra State governor has an edge in the February 25, 2023 election.
“None of the contestants is a saint but when one compares their character, antecedent, their understanding, knowledge, discipline, and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great efforts required to stay focused on the job, particularly looking at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge.
“Others like all of us have what they can collectively contribute to the new dispensation to liberation, restoration, and salvaging of Nigeria.
“One other important point to make about Peter is that he is a needle with thread attached to it from North and South and he may not get lost.
“In other words, he has people who can pull his ears, if and when necessary. He has a young and able running mate with a clean track record of achievement both in public and private life,” he averred.
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