Mobolaji Michael
LEADER of the opposition Labour Party (LP) and the party presidential standard-bearer in the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi, has denied playing any role in the annulment of the June 12 presidential election believed to have been won by the late business mogul, Chief Moshood Kolawole Olawale Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The election, considered the freest and fairest poll conducted in the electoral history of the country till date, was annulled by the then head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida who cited ‘irregularities not obvious to Nigerians’.
However, in the lead-up to the poll, a shadowy Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) led by Chief Arthur Nzeribe, procured a nocturnal judgment on the eve of the election stopping the exercise. This judgment was one of the reasons cited for the subsequent annulment of the poll by General Babangida. Meanwhile, for quite unclear reasons, Mr Peter Obi’s name has been mentioned as being a member of ABN.
But the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), in a rebuttal said linking the former Anambra State with ABN or Chief Arthur Nzeribe is an attempt to de-market the politician.
A release endorsed by Ibrahim Umar. POMR Spokesman, pointed out that it was the second time in less than two years that the purveyors of the falsehoods were churning out such hubris.
According to him, “The first time this fabricated article came was on 14 June 2023. It came as “” “Peter Obi and NADECO/Democracy Day’”. Last week, it resurfaced in social media as ‘Nigerians Must Not Forget!!!, In 1993 Peter Obi was a protege of Arthur Nzeribe in the Association for Better Nigeria, ABN”.
Mallam Umar maintains that “Such a brazen sunken story whose motive is well known ordinarily should not deserve our response but for the credulous public that may not be privy to these facts. And apparently, because of the level of distortions of facts in the write-up, that has no author.
“Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) is well aware of the renewed activities of some well-mobilised mercenaries given the arduous task of concocting lies to de-market Peter Obi.
“The motive, which is well known to us, is to dent Obi and diminish his rising profile, which stands him out as one of the most outstanding Nigerian democrats today whose belief in the rule of law and non-violence policy remains remarkable.”
The writer, the media outreach insists, is unable to appreciate the outstanding principles in Obi, his high riding on uncommon principles which remain verifiable.
“POMR would, therefore, like to urge members of the reading public to treat this as a malicious effort that should be sent to the trash bin.
“Obi was never directly or indirectly involved in the activities of the June 12 struggle. While he supported and voted for the late MKO Abiola in 1993, soon after the election, he relocated to the United Kingdom with his family, where he ran a decent, successful business that received encouragement and support from credible finance institutions all over the world because of the integrity and reputation put in it.
“As of 1993, Obi was not a politician, but he admired and voted for Abiola through the late former Senate President Dr Chuba Okadigbo, with whom he was his fan and admirer. Even while at the University in Nsukka, Obi was not into politics as he was more associated as a student entrepreneur.
“The reputation Obi took into business that stood him out was what he took into politics. Before becoming Governor he never worked or held any government position. He never worked in the Nigeria Ports Authority.
“The closest he came to late General Sani Abacha’s government was when his petition on port congestion attracted Abacha’s attention and he co-opted him into an advocate committee for Port de-congestion that lasted less than four months.”
POMR further stated that since leaving office over 10 years ago, Obi continues to say that Anambra State has not bought him a bottle of water because he is not into the after-office largesse.
“This is the man some hirelings are making fruitless efforts to dent by cooking up lies against him including saying that he was against June 12 when he was not even resident in Nigeria during the June 12 imbroglio but living in the United Kingdom and could not have been involved as the faceless writer dubiously wanted the gullible public to believe”.
Eighteen-Eleven Media