Knocks and criticisms have trailed the alleged attempts by the Labour Party and supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to induce Nigerians with foodstuffs and other items in order to vote in the coming 2023 general elections. On Friday, foodstuffs bearing Obi’s name, his vice-presidential candidate, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, and the logo of his party were seen pasted on bags of rice and groundnut oil with the inscriptions, “Vote Obi/Datti 2023”, “Obi/Datti 2023”, amongst others surfaced on social media platforms, Easterner reports.
However, the development attracted criticisms from Nigerians who accused the supporters of the LP candidate of hypocrisy, adding that Obi was still an “old politician” – part of those he claimed he was coming to dislodge in the election. Some Nigerians have taken to their twitter handle to react, condemning the development.
A Twitter user, with Twitter handle @StFreakingKezy who tweeted, sharing a photo of a large collection of LP-branded bags of rice, “Labour Party sharing rice?”
Also reacting, @Akeemfadare, wrote, “People deceiving people. They are fake people. Everything about them is fake.”
Another user of the micro-blogging site, @Elvisgolden3, wrote in pidgin, “No be dem say dem wan raise the standard of campaigns?”
In reply to Elvis’ tweet, Tunde Musa-Ekene wrote in pidgin, “Rice no be shi shi naa!”, mocking the LP.
Although another Twitter user, @Sarki12r tried to protect Obi from the blame, noting that he (Obi) might not be aware of the packages, criticisms still poured in. Meanwhile, the spokesman of Peter Obi Support Network, Mr Jones Onwuasoanya, has dissociated Obi from the foodstuff posters adding that the LP candidate never sanctioned the move and did not have control over what Nigerians would do to win votes for him.
He said, “I have to restate that Peter Obi’s presidential campaign is a people-driven campaign. Obi does not need to give anybody, anything before he is voted for. What he gives is the message of progress of Nigeria and making the country work for all Nigerians.”
