Gloria Ogbu
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has debunked allegations that he travelled to Europe and America to seek external funding explained that his tour is essential to sensitize Nigerians in the Diaspora on the 2023 elections and not for fund-raising purposes.
He made this known through the Obi-Datti Media following the 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.
The statement reads in part: “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.
On APC’s petition to INEC to remove Obi from the candidates in 2023 general election, he said “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.” it reads.