Former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi has been elected unopposed as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for the 2023 general elections.
Obi emerged winner after all other aspirants stepped down for him and in the interest of the party in the presidential primary elections held on Monday in Asaba, Delta State.
According to the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Usman Abdullahi, five presidential aspirants were cleared to contest the election.
Abdullahi disclosed that a total of 104 delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), were accredited for the election.
However, in the unfolding event, the presidential aspirants; Prof. Pat Utomi, Mr Joseph Faduri and Mrs. Olubusola Emmanuel-Tella stepped down while Mr Charles Uchenna withdrew from the election
Obi, at the end of the voting, polled a total of 96 votes to clinch the party ticket for the general election.
While declaring the result, Abdullahi declared Obi winner and presidential candidate of the LP for the 2023 general election for having polled a total of 96 votes out of the 97 valid votes with one invalid vote.
He described the process as free, fair, transparent and credible.
Obi, in his acceptance address, said that the country was in dire need of effective leadership that could remove the country from a consuming to a productive nation.
According to him, the only way to fight insecurity is to pull people out of poverty.
He said that under his administration, education, power generation and the economy would be the priority if given the mandate as president.
Obi said that having secured the mandate as presidential candidate that the journey to the presidency had begun.
He said he would mobilise to harness votes from all nooks and crannies of the country to win the presidency.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the process was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) amidst tight security by security agencies and the media, Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress were represented.
It would be recalled that Peter Obi resigned from the PDP just days before the presidential primary elections of the party. Peter Obi was one of the leading presidential aspirants of the PDP alongside former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal.
He later complained that the system and processes that he had seen unfolding were not compatible with his principles.
FULL TEXT PETER OBI’s ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
Let Us Return Nigeria to Their Rightful Owners
I thank Nigerians; especially members of the Labour Party who have gathered here since yesterday to partake in the primaries to choose the person that will fly Labour flag in the forthcoming National election to choose the President of Nigeria.
History beckons. Nigerians remain hopeful for a national rebirth, which implies returning Nigeria to Nigerians – farmers, teachers and students, lecturers, artisans, workers, pensioners and over a hundred million poor Nigerians who are not sure where their next meal will come from.
Therefore, what you are doing today is a patriotic duty towards seeking the desired political emancipation of our dear country, which stands wounded by many years of cumulative leadership failure.
Painfully, our current dysfunctional system rewards unearned income and conspicuous consumption; allows university lecturers to remain on strike for months; keep our youths at home; and owe pensioners, who gave their patriotic sweat and their youthful energy to serve this country.
The despicable contrast is that those responsible for the mess -those elected to take care of them – have abandoned the national currency and are living in opulence and like kings, spend dollars to buy delegates as well as houses all over the world.Meanwhile, they owe most workers, lecturers and retirees.
Yes, our country stands hijacked by forces of retrogression. We are almost zero in all indices of development. As a result, our future, especially those of the youth and generations unborn is in ruins. We have become a laughing stock among other nations, including African countries where we were once revered.
As a party that represents the workers and masses of this great nation, we are people organised and working for our economic rebirth. As I am nominated today, I humbly proclaim that the journey
I note with humility that the journey is going to be a collective one that will certainly require the cooperation of critical stakeholders in our country, especially the youth, whose future has been thoroughly degraded.
I, therefore, thank all of you and call for your sustained support towards returning Nigeria to Nigerians from forces of bad leadership and retrogression. Such a noble task brooks no conscientious objectors.
I hardly use war metaphors for political analysis due to my belief that politics is not adversarial and not war. However permit me a little indulgence here, to relate what we are embarking on to the ancient battle of Thermopylae, where the Greek forces, conscious of fighting for the life of Greece held on against great odds in the defence of their country.
In the battle to re-take Nigerian, the odds are great and seemingly insurmountable, but with our commitment, patriotism and understanding that we are doing, what we are supposed to do for our country, lest she shall die, we shall move on discontent with what is and focused on enthroning what ought to be. In doing this, our battle cry shall remain: get your PVC and become part of this great liberation!
Our governance mission will be twin-tracked. Secure Nigeria in every ramification: national security, human security, food security and tackling insecurity created by unemployment.
We will also seek to unite our nation by pulling our people out of poverty and creating a new sense of nationalism and patriotism. Nigeria shall rise again: and her people will be proud to claim ownership of her patrimony. Doing so is in our collective national interest.
As I earnestly thank Nigerians for their faith in me. In the days ahead I will publish our governance manifesto, which will spell out our top governance priorities. I assure you that no region; state, local government or community will be left behind.
I also assure you all that the struggle continues and that victory is certainly in sight towards the guarantee of a meaningful future for our youths and making this country a respected and viable member of a 21st century world, that places high value on production overconsumption.
God bless you all and God bless Nigeria!
