Ex-presidential candidates, former party chairmen endorse Obi
Six days to the general election, a group made up of former presidential candidates and 24 former national chairmen of political parties in Nigeria, have pledged their commitment to work with the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed.
The group under the aegis of the Coalition for Good Governance on Monday, said it took the decision after carrying out an evaluation of the candidates without recourse to ethnic or religious sentiments and resolved that the former Anambra State governor has what it takes to fix the challenges bedeviling the nation.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Okey Chikwendu, CCG described Obi and Baba-Ahmed as the most credible and qualified candidates among those currently vying for the presidency across the political parties.
The statement read, “It was during this evaluation which was carried out without any colouration of ethnicity or religious bias that the Coalition for Good Governance came to the conclusion that Mr Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed are the most credible, capable and qualified candidates among the contestants vying for the post of president come 25th of February 2023.
“To this regard, we reaffirm our stand in the best interest of Nigerians. We are thankful that Nigerians of all ethnicities have given an ear to our patriotic call to vote Mr Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed as we go to the polls this Saturday, 25th of February 2023. The Coalition for Good Governance as a body of professionals in the political terrain wishes to advise Nigerians to reject those who peddle unnecessary blackmail on the candidacy of Mr Peter Obi.
“Mr Peter Obi is a nationalist, and a true Nigerian. He is decent, humble, credible, capable, competent and compassionate in character. Mr Obi as governor of Anambra State rejected billions of naira and houses as compensation from Anambra State Government. It is on record that Mr Peter Obi left over 75 billion naira in the state coffers at the end of his tenure, a record that has been unmatched by any governor in Nigeria.
“We are all aware of contestants whose fraudulent activities, godfatherism and drug-related records are unacceptable for the new Nigerian that we desire. Their shamelessness has led to their desire to still contest and test our gullibility with their illegally acquired wealth which Nigerians must resist.
“As Nigerians and politicians that we are, we will not sit on the fence to watch another subversion of our resources to individuals and their cronies which is the antecedents of some of the contestants now desperate for the presidency.
“Fellow Nigerians, because we are not in the payroll of anyone, we are responsible for what we say today. We urge you all to reject thieves and dictators in sheep clothing, drug barons and those who have no respect for our diversity and secularism and vote for Mr Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed of the Labour Party so that together, our nation can rise from consistent economic failure to economic surplus and a new nation bound in freedom and surplus is born.”
