The Obi-Datti Media Office has debunked the allegations that the Labour Party, LP, Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, who is currently on tour in Europe and America, is on a fund-raising exercise.
The denial came on the heels of demands by members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to sanction LP for allegedly violating the electoral laws that forbid external funding for contestants.
In a related development, Obi has described as uncharitable, the reports credited to Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, accusing him of dragging the Church into politics for the sole reason that he attends Church programmes. Obi spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Valentine Obienyem.
Meantime, Sen. Annie Okonkwo, who chaired a magnetic reception for Peter Obi, in Los Angeles, California, USA, Tuesday night, to round off his recent cross-continental dialogue with ecstatic Nigerians in the diaspora, has said that Nigeria’s barriers to her development, corruption and woeful leadership, will cease to torment her citizens, when the national Obidient political movement finally midwifes the emergence of a Peter Obi presidency, come February 25, 2023 general elections.
Debunks allegation of violation of Electoral Act
In a release, the Media Office explained that Obi’s tour is essential to sensitize Nigerians in the Diaspora on the 2023 elections and not for fund-raising purposes.
It chided the APC media handlers for fretting over the reception accorded Obi by Nigerians abroad, arguing that the outpouring of emotions for the LP candidate is an indication of the substance of his person and message.
The statement read: “The Obi-Datti Media Office attention has been drawn to the desolate and baseless allegation by a support group of Tinubu-Shettima calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi and his running mate, Ahmed Baba Datti, from the 2023 presidential election for allegedly violating a section of Electoral Act on Election funding.
“All of a sudden, the structure-less and social media candidates are now the headache of the ruling party that they now had to fabricate and imagine things they want the electoral commission to act on. Obi’s successful trip abroad which is ostensibly to sensitize and carry along Nigerians aboard on his upcoming agenda of rebuilding the country is open and transparent and not fundraising. But we know why it’s discomforting some people because they cannot meet Nigerians in the diaspora knowing that they contributed to their leaving the country in the first place.
“We have always said that their understanding of structure is the abundance of looted funds in their kitty that they plan to deploy on hungry Nigerian voters during the election to sway their votes.
“They know nobody has the kind of stolen funds they have and are always uncomfortable with anything suggesting to them that their opponents could match them. Obi did not go to beg for money but to sell himself and his mission to Nigerians outside the shores who are critical stakeholders in the Nigeria project. Since June 2022, when they deployed a lump of their loots to get the ticket of their party, the nation’s currency crashed and is still battling for breath. And since then, they have been mopping up foreign currencies ahead of the election to buy voters.
“The Media office, therefore, needs to educate them that Obi and his Running mate are a knowledgeable duo who know the law and operate within it and who became what they are financially, politically, and socially doing legitimate businesses. They have no bullion van history of questionable wealth and are ready and willing to be scrutinized.”
