The Movement for Election of Nigeria’s President of Igbo Extraction has condemned the attack on convoys of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, in Katsina State after successful electioneering campaigns.
The movement said this in a statement signed by its Convener, Mr Vincent Ezekwueme, and the Secretary, Prof. Justus Chidi, and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Onitsha.
According to the statement, the act is barbaric, insensate, despicable and horrendous.
BRANDPOWER reports that the Obi-Datti campaign team said Obi was attacked by some hoodlums on his way to the airport on Monday
The campaign team said, “On his (Obi) way to the airport, hoodlums attacked the car our candidate was riding in with heavy stones from his driver’s side causing substantial damage to the vehicle.
“To the glory of God, Obi and other occupants of the car were unhurt.
“Subsequently, another set of thugs also threw stones outside the stadium which damaged several vehicles including that of our official stage crew,” the campaign team narrated in a statement signed by its Head of Media, Diran Onifade, on Tuesday.
According to the campaign team, the said attack took place after Obi had met with women in a townhall and then held a rally at the Muhammad Dikko Stadium.
Obi and his campaign team, including his running mate, Datti Baba- Ahmed, told the crowd that they were ready to serve the country with all the strength in them if elected.
He promised to fulfil all his promises to Nigerians, insisting that electorates should have faith in him and his party to further develop the country.
The Campaign team said, “The two incidents taken together make us suspect that the attacks may have been premeditated at the behest of desperate politicians who had been deluding themselves with the false claim that they had the North-West locked up but are now shocked by the show of force of the Obidient movement in the region,” Onifade added.
The statement from the Movement for Election of Nigeria’s President of Igbo Extraction further said, “It is very unfortunate and pathetic that this despicable incidence happened now that collective and collaborative efforts are channels towards ensuring peaceful, credible, free, fair polls in 2023.”
“This election will foster national unity, integration and cohesion. We call on candidates, political parties, politicians and stakeholders not only to play the game of politics according to rules, but also to call their supporters to order.
“They should refrain from casting unnecessary and unsubstantiated aspersions on imagery and perceived opponents,” they said.
The organisation said that supporters should respect with dignity, views and interest of the opponents and embrace politics without bitterness and rancour.
They further appealed to the Katsina state government, Police and other security personnel to order for discreet and indepth investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack in order to forestall future occurrence.
