Peter Obi, Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, speaks during an interview with Reuters at his residence in Lagos, Nigeria August 18, 2022. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja
Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the just concluded elections, Mr Peter Obi, has told the House of Assembly candidates of his party in Anambra State to ignore Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s threats and go all out to win the next Saturday’s polls.
He, however, also advised them to work with the governor, if they win, to ensure that he delivers on his campaign promises to Ndi Anambra.
Obi gave the advice in Awka, the state capital shortly after his meeting with the 21 Assembly candidates. Also at the meeting was the senators-elect for Anambra Central and North, Chief Victor Umeh and Dr Tony Nwoye; as well as Prof. Oby Orogbu who was elected to represent Awka North and South Federal Constituency.
Soludo had, in a trending video, threatened to sideline lawmakers who were elected on the platforms of other political parties and work only with the members of his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The person(s) I will work with in Awka must be an APGA member. If you vote for another person in another party, he will only be receiving his salaries. A House of Assembly member cannot build roads, schools or hospitals.
“It is me that is the governor that will do it. It is only those (lawmakers) in my party that will have access to my office and it is only them that can tell me what they want for their constituencies.
“I will have no business with anybody (lawmaker) that is not in my party. When he finishes his work (sitting) he will go home. It is only my people that I can relate with; when they call me on the phone I will answer,” Soludo said.
But Obi told his party candidates to reach out to Ndi Anambra and appeal for their votes as powers actually belong to the people. He said that he had no problems with Soludo and would never have.
“Like I said, we have political differences and the way we approach it. I have told our people to go and campaign and win elections. Your job as a legislator is to work with the governor to ensure he provides dividends of democracy to the people.
“Help him to ensure that the schools, the number one thing, education works by making sure that you give him appropriate support in appropriation, in laws to guide education, health, roads construction."
"The lawmakers don’t do executive jobs. So, there is no way they cannot enjoy… if he builds a road, will he ask a lawmaker not to pass through it because he belongs to another political party?
“If he builds a school, he won’t tell their children not to go to that school. If he provides water, the water will be used by everybody. So, I don’t see anything. If you work, people will benefit from it no matter how you like or don’t like them.
"At times I believe he’s misquoted. Nobody knows what is happening now, but I can assure you that at all times, he remains our governor. Our job is to pray for him and support him,” Obi said.
Meanwhile, Obi, yesterday, called on supporters of the party in Edo State not to be discouraged by the outcome of the presidential election but sustain the tempo by voting all the candidates of the party in the Saturday March 18 state House of Assembly election across the state.
He made the call when he paid a thank you visit to the state. Obi who moved from New Benin Market through Mission Road, Sapele Road before climaxing it at Adesuwa Road, was greeted by a mammoth crowd.
Obi said they had started very well adding that they must complete what started by coming out enmasse to vote for the LP candidates.
He said Nigerians have begun a new movement, a movement which no one can stop, adding that Nigeria must not be allowed to remain the way it is rather there must be a paradigm shift for a better and a prosperous Nigeria.
“We have begun the journey to a new Nigeria, and nobody will stop it. We will not allow Nigeria to remain the way it is. We will continue to vote for Labour Party,” Obi said.
He urged candidates who have emerged victorious in the just concluded National Assembly elections, and the ones to be conducted on March 18, to do things differently, adding that the party plans to organize a retreat for them.
He said that during the retreat they will be taught what to do to change the political narratives of the country.
“We are going to have a retreat with our candidates to make sure that people who are elected do things differently,” Obi said.
The National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, on his part, said the candidates of the party for the state assembly election have not stepped down for anybody and not sponsored by any other parties or candidates, rather they are LP candidates.
He said those spreading the rumours are doing so because they have lost touch with the people of the state as they have been rejected by the people of the state.
Abure said because the people of the state have rejected their parties, they are looking for how they could attach themselves to Labour Party to win the election.
He appealed to the residents of the state to come out enmass to vote for candidates of the party in the forthcoming election to secure victory for the party.
Earlier, the state chairman of the party, Kelly Agbaloi, thanked Obi and Abure for visiting the state adding that their presence had further boosted the confidence of all the Obidients in the state.
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