Vote for competence not religion, ethnicity: Obi tells Nigerians

Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, has urged Nigerians to vote for candidates based on competence, character and not sentiments in the 2023 general election.

Obi said this at a two day Leadership Retreat with the theme “Nigeria at a Crossroad; Labour Party the Only Option in Abuja.

According to him, the job of a leader is to solve problems and not to give excuses or blame other people.

He promised to solve the challenges facing the country, if elected as the president in 2023.

Obi promised to sign a performance agreement with the Nigeria Labour Congress to make sure that ideas generated at the retreat were followed to the latter.

“Enough is enough for the blame game, I won’t offer anybody any excuse.

“That is why election next year will not be based on ethnicity, it will not be based on religion, there is no place Christians buy things cheaper, there is no place Muslims buy things cheaper.

“It will not be by my turn, it is nobody’s turn. It must not be by connection.

“Election next year must be based on character and trust; it must be based on competence,” he said.

He said that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike could be solved easily with little more efforts by the government.

Obi while unveiling the LP portal and free membership cards for Nigerians to join the party, said they were building a party where people would  not have to borrow money to contest election.

The LP Chairman, Mr Julius Abure, said  the retreat was aimed at reviewing the party’s successes and challenges by  designing the roadmap for the 2023 election.

Abure said that the nation was faced with so many challenges ranging from economic to security.

“Peter Obi’s emergence as presidential candidate has brought a lot of new registrants into our fold and transformed the 2023 context into a National Movement. The ObIdients.

“The logo of our party is Father Mother and Child in a wheel, we believe in equal opportunity and social justice.

“The party specifically champions the rights of women, children and all the oppressed in the society,” he said.

Abure said that an elected LP government would work hand in hand with trade unions, civil servants and the private sector to rebuild Nigeria with its strong economic development strategy.

Mr Ayuba Wabba, President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said the party would tackle unemployment and corruption which was  an organised crime against the Nigerian public if elected.

Wabba urged workers to work toward good governance in the country by supporting the party in 2023 poll.(NAN)