THE flag bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has urged voters in Gombe State not to vote based on religion or ethnicity, saying insecurity, poverty, unemployment and hunger, have no regard for tribal and religious sentiments.
Obi, who campaigned on Wednesday in Gombe, Nigeria’s North-East, told a crowd of supporters that only a competent and compassionate leader can give Nigeria a rebirth at this time of its history.
“When they say vote for them because they are from the north, tell them we are hungry, tell them we have no jobs, we have no schools, you are not secured. And a northerner is the president?” he queried.
“Is there anywhere northerners buy bread cheaper? The same thing for people in the south. Is there anywhere Muslims buy bread cheaper? Is there anywhere Christians buy bread cheaper? Don’t vote for them because of religion. Don’t vote because it is anybody’s turn. It is your turn to take back Nigeria.”
The LP presidential candidate was in the state alongside his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed and other party chieftains like foremost political economist, Pat Utomi.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said the February 25 presidential poll would herald a new Nigeria.
“Election this year is an election to start building a new Nigeria. And that new Nigeria can only come when you vote people who are competent, when you vote people who have character, when you vote people who have compassion, people who have physical and mental energy to do the job,” he said.
“All we want to do is to build a new Nigeria; a Nigeria where everyone will be happy. Today, all you have in Nigeria is poverty, hunger, joblessness, kidnapping, insecurity, everything.”
He slammed the dominant political parties for claiming he has no structure, adding that the so-called structures of those parties have produced poverty and criminality.
“They will tell you to vote for them and say we have no structure; their structure has produced poverty, their structure has produced criminality; people now live in fear in our country. We want that to reduce,” he said.
“We want to build a new Nigeria. You voted for the umbrella, which leaked and left you suffering; you voted for the broom, they swept you into poverty.
“Now is the time to vote for human beings to bring about a new Nigeria. It’s time to vote for mama, papa, and children.”
