he ,,,iLagos was thrilled, yesterday, as the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi’s campaign train arrived the city. The city was, literarily, shut down by jubilant youths, women, and adults, who struggled to catch a glimpse of the one of forerunners in the presidential election.
Obi visited some markets and engaged in road works along strategic areas in the commercial city to ensure that all parts of Lagos were engulfed in the euphoria before finally assembling at the Tafawa Balewa Square to the warm embrace of another very massive crowd of supporters.
The Obi-Datti Media, in a statement, indicated that attempt to frustrate the rally by some hoodlums and hirelings failed, although Lagos Police Command confirmed four persons were injured and many vehicles damaged by the gangsters ostensibly engineered by political opponents.
Meanwhile, thousands of traders at the Alaba International Market roared their support for Obi. The enthusiastic applause and celebrations from everyone present was a clear indication of the amount of support he continued to receive after dominating his opponents in a recent pre-election poll conducted by Bloomberg and emerging as the “Most Desired Candidate” with an astounding 66 percent support base.
The traders, who could be heard yelling, “Our father is here” and “Obi” at the top of their voices, were more than happy to welcome the long-awaited change in support of the Peter Obi movement as they proudly led the rally procession.
All through Alaba International Market in the Ojo area through FESTAC to Apapa, Ikeja through Maryland to Onipanu to Surulere among others, there was endless dancing and singing of ‘Obi Kerere nke’, all the way.
At all the strategic locations, Obi addressed the crowd preaching non-violence electioneering and promising a new Nigeria where the people will sojourn in peace.
Mr Peter Obi, the flag bearer of Labour Party, who was overwhelmed and humbled by the show of love, described the massive crowd and the enthusiasm as awesome. He condemned any form of brutality and called on the youths to eschew violence, saying: “As we go into the final stretch for the elections, I call on all Nigerians regardless of political affiliation or tendency, to eschew violence. I condemn any form of violence…”
Meanwhile, Igbo youths under the auspices of Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has asked the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to protect all candidates and supporters campaigning for votes in the state.
They also decried the attack by political thugs on Obi’s supporters during his campaign, during which vehicles were destroyed, money and phones belonging to them stolen.
In a statement in Enugu, signed by their National Coordinator, Goodluck Ibem and Secretary General, Okey Nwaoru, they condemned, in strong terms, the attacks, alleging that the political thugs were deliberately detailed to disrupt the rally.
“The attacks on Labour Party supporters in Lagos State are a daily occurrence. Those sponsoring these attacks should know that it is not fashionable any longer….”
Obi also called on the security forces nationwide to protect those exercising their fundamental rights of free speech and assembly, warning that the people’s civil space must not shrink further than it is already. Obi told Lagosians that he and Datti were coming to revolutionise governance and create a new Nigeria, where people would live harmoniously in peace.
He told the crowd that he and his vice were more qualified than anybody in the race in competence, capacity, antecedents, and capabilities, as both of them coming from the private sector had paid their dues successfully and had no dented records in the past.
He said that they would take Nigeria away from sharing to producing in line with their “consumption-to-production” policies, which would provide jobs to millions of youths in their productive age and through that pull people out of poverty.
Other speakers at the rally included the Vice Presidential Candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmad; LP National Chairman, Julius Abure among others. They buttressed the fact that “a secure new Nigeria is possible through Obi-Datti and the Labour Party…”
