By Abiola Olawale
Ahead of the upcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State, a coalition of Obidient movement groups in the state has expressed its appreciation to the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, for affirming its stance that members of the Obedient Group are free to vote for any political party or candidate of their choice with competence in the September election.
The leadership of the group, in a statement released on Sunday in Benin City, the state capital, and signed by Alphonsus Osagie and Ehizokhale Aiwanfoh, asserted that the recent statement made by Obi, the overall figure behind the movement, has absolved members of the movement from any obligation to vote for the Labour Party.
They said they were pleased to hear Obi directing them to vote for a candidate that is competent, someone who can lead the state forward.
According to the group, Obi’s statement has put to rest the “shenanigans of some people” parading themselves as “Obidients only on account of their support for Olumide Akpata, the candidate of the Labour Party in the state”.
The statement reads in part: “We the Coalition of Edo Obidient Movement groups have received our leader, Mr. Peter Obi’s clear and emphatic message distancing the Obidient Movement from any political party in Nigeria.
“First, we want to express our immense gratitude to our great leader, His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi for finally making an official clarification on this matter and thereby laying to rest the shenanigans of some impostors parading themselves as ‘Obidients’ on account of their support for Edo Labour Party candidate, Olumide Akpata, when the latter had never associated himself with the Obidient Movemenbeforeto this election season.
“Once again, Mr Peter Obi has demonstrated the courage, honesty and forthrightness that endeared him to all of us Obidients.
“In his clear words, ‘the Obidient Movement is a diverse and inclusive collective that transcends traditional, political, religious, and ethnic affiliations. It is not domiciled within any particular party or headquartered in any particular part of the country….’
“In Edo State, we have been sounding it to anyone who cared to listen that the Obidient Movement is not Labour Party and therefore not bound to support any candidate paraded by the par, ty especially Olumide Akpata whose candidacy violates all the cardinal principles upon which Obidient movement was conceived and founded.
“We want to use this medium to profoundly express our gratitude to Peter Obi for reaffirming and reiterating the core Obidient values of honesty, integrity and transparency which Akpata compromised in his now infamous dollarised LP primaries in Edo.
“We thank Mr Peter Obi for re-emphasising the need for equity, fairness, justice and inclusivity, which Akpaty neglects by his inordinate desire to succeed his cousin, incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki against the popular consensus that power must shift to Edo Central.
“We thank Mr Peter Obi for reaffirming the principles of loyalty and commitment which Akpata had never demonstrated to the Obidient before his guber ambition. He wants during our campaign for a new Nigeria under the leadership of our visionary leader. Peter Obi during the 2023 general elections.
“Finally, we thank Obi for vindicating our principled stand and position to stand for competence, character, compassion, equity, fairness and justice in Edo State”.
