United Coalition of Peter Obi Support Groups has distanced itself from a purported rift between the support groups registered with Labour Party, and the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The group in a statement issued on Sunday said that contrary to reports in some sections of the media, its members are fully in support of the presidential ambition of the former Anambra State governor.
It also disclosed that the three Support Groups mentioned in the alleged report, namely the Obi Nationalist Movement, Obidient New Nigeria Coalition, and Peter Obi Amazons, as those planning to cut ties with the LP candidate, remain committed to his electoral ambition.
The statement quoted a report, titled, “OBIDIENT: 25 support groups to quit Peter Obi’s campaign over candidate’s false statistics’’, which allegedly claimed that as many as 25 support groups hitherto working to ensure Mr Obi’s election as the next President of Nigeria, are on the verge of parting ways with him over what they termed “high-handedness and his penchant for reeling false statistics”.
“We also want to place on record that the three Support Groups, the Obi Nationalist Movement, Obidient, New Nigeria Coalition, and Peter Obi Amazons, mentioned in the reports as part of those planning to cut ties with His Excellency Peter Obi, remain irrevocably committed to the project of electing Peter Obi as president of Nigeria in February 2023,” it added.
While denying that one Dr Rejoice Okey, is a member of Obi Support Groups, it went on to describe the reports as “deliberate falsehood against our presidential candidate and misinforming the Nigerian public,” adding that those behind it impersonated representatives of three member groups.
“To set the records straight, there is no disquiet in the family of support groups actively ramping up support for the candidacy of His Excellency Peter Obi
“The family remains united and committed to the project of electing him as Nigeria’s president come February 2023.
“We aver with every sense of responsibility that there is no strain in the relationship between him and the support groups. If any exists, it will only be in the imagination of the concocters of the vile and abhorrent drivel intended to smear the reputation of one of Nigeria’s finest sons.
“As a matter of fact, relations between the thousands of Peter Support Groups around the country and in the Diaspora and Mr. Obi himself are as rosy and cooperative as ever.
“This relationship was reinforced recently at a meeting between the two parties where he outlined his vision for a New Nigeria and extracted continued support from the group to help him make this possible.
“Me Obi is an internationally respected politician and businessman with decades of experience presiding over boards of leading companies and institutions in Nigeria. Accusing him of bandying false statistics is therefore the height of mischief.
“He has at all times accurately purveyed facts and data to capture the true situation on national and international economic issues. Indeed, at the last Town Hall Meeting organized by Arise Television, His Excellency, Peter Obi was fact-checked on some of his key pronouncements and was found to be correct on all of them.
“We make bold to say that the allegation of dishing out false statistics leveled against our candidate by this band of impersonators, is a clear case of ‘the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob’.
This allegation, coming less than twenty-four hours after the presidential candidate of the ruling party made the same baseless allegation, shows clearly where this is all coming from. Here in Nigeria, it is said among our rural folk that when a witch cries in the dead of the night and a child is found dead in the morning, there is no prize for guessing who the killer of the child is,” it stated.
