By Damola Emmanuel
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, in his first response to Saturday’s Presidential election which he lost to Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has sent a passionate plea to his supporters, popularly called OBIdients, especially the youth, urging them not to burn or tear their permanent voters cards, PVC, in reaction to the results.
He was reacting to a question during a press conference he addressed, Thursday afternoon in Abuja, on reports of youths tearing and burning their PVCs in some parts of the country to protest the conduct of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, insisting the process was flawed and the poll rigged.
But responding to the situation, Obi pleaded with the youths, indeed, all other aggrieved persons, not to destroy their PVCs but turn out massively next Saturday, March 11, 2023, and for the governor and assembly members of the Labour Party.
He told them he understood how they felt but urged them not to give up. This is a long journey, he said, and he was committed to going through it with them.
“Believe me as an elder brother,” he continued. “Believe me as a father. Believe me…, this is a long journey, I’m totally committed to it. And I will walk through with you. I know how disillusioned you are. Don’t be disillusioned because the people we are dealing with have made up their mind that we won’t succeed. We have also made up our mind that we will succeed.”
Asked if he was taking his case to the international community, Obi said he was not because it was a Nigerian problem. The International Community, he maintained, does not see what “we see”.
When reminded that ECOWAS Election Observers reported that despite the challenges and malpractices that occurred last Saturday, the process was still generally fair and, therefore, passable. Obi retorted that he deliberately did not mention the word “Observer” in his address. Therefore, he urged his supporters not to bother what some observers were saying.
He also assured them that he was not going anywhere but will stay and walk through the journey with them.