Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi said on Monday that if anybody should claim it is his turn to rule the country, that person should be him.
He however said that Nigerians should not take his ambition to mean that that he supports tribalism, cautioning the voters not to consider tribe or religion in their choice of candidate.
At a stakeholders town hall meeting/presidential rally in Effurun, Delta State, Obi declared: “Don’t vote anybody based on religion. No religion buys bread cheaper. We want you to vote credible people and let nobody tell you it is his turn.
“I am from the South East, if it is turn, I will claim it is my turn but I am contesting for this job as a Nigerian and I am contesting because I know I can turn around this country. I am contesting because I know I am qualified to do the job”.
He urged the people to vote for him and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, noting that next month’s election should be based on character, competence and commitment.
He promised not to give excuses when he becomes the president by blaming the outgoing administration, assuring “I am not going to do blame game when I get there by telling you what the people who are leaving do.
“No. That is not my business. You are not having me to remind you where we are coming from. I will be responsible since everything will stop on my desk. I will make sure the system works. I and Datti will be in charge”, he assured.
Obi said further: “Let me assure you that a New Nigeria is possible and my position is simple, we are not going to give excuses. I am not to tell you what I see when I enter there. No. I have seen everything now”.
The LP presidential candidate said that he would focus his energy in the development of education, health and agriculture, and promised to dredge the Escravos river to enable ships have unhindered access to Warri and Sapele ports.
Also addressing the rally, a political economist and prominent member of LP, Prof. Pat Utomi urged the youth to help save the nation from her present quagmire.
“Tomorrow starts now. You must redeem your country. Disease is ravaging this land. Hunger is punishing the people. Pestilence is all over the place. Corrupt is making life miserable. We cannot continue like this and you are the ones who will rescue the future”, he said.
Popular rights activist, Aisha Yesufu also charged the youth to arm themselves with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) recalling that when they protested maladministration in the country, the leadership used teargas against them.
She said that, this time around, the youth should use their PVCs to protest the rot in the country by storming their polling units and vote for Peter Obi and chase those milking the nation dry.
Yesufu however warned Obi that the youth would rise against him if he also failed, adding: “You know we in the South South don’t fear anybody. You see, as I am here, I am at home. I never told you before and let me tell you now, if you enter there, you do anyhow, you will see anyhow”.
Earlier, the Chief Host of the town hall meeting/presidential rally, Deacon Chris Iyovwaye welcomed the LP presidential candidate and his entourage to the state.
“We are a people that are looking up to a great change for Nigeria. We are waiting for this great change and we are convinced that it’s resident in the life of our principal, Mr Peter Obi”.
According to Iyovwaye: “We are seeing the things that he has been saying and campaigning for from place to place. We are also seeing the kind of things that he has displayed across Nigeria. The fact of the matter, Every time you hear from consumption to production, you know that you’re already talking about him. We are looking at the man that want to take us from potential to reality. We are looking at a man that wants to do things differently. We are looking at a man that has what it takes to change Nigeria”.
While noting that Nigeria is blessed with a lot of mineral resources and other things, Iyovwaye said that what Nigeria is not blessed with is leadership.
He however expressed the belief that Obi’s leadership would provide would change the country for good.
