By Ken Afor
Mr. Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has cancelled his scheduled trip to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to watch the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday following the death of the Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, and son.
Mr. Obi, in a post shared on his verified X handle on Sunday, said he would not be physically present at the stadium to support the Super Eagles as he is mourning his friend, Wigwe.
According to Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, the deaths of Wigwe, his wife, his son, and the former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, have left him deeply saddened.
The Labour Party leader, while emphasizing the significance of staying back, noted that it was a mark of respect to the late seasoned banker who contributed immensely to the growth and development of the country, particularly in education and youth empowerment.
He wrote, “It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that I will not be physically present in the stadium to support you. The devastating news of the death of my dear friend, and one of our country’s outstanding entrepreneurs, Herbert Wigwe, CEO of Access Holdings, along with his wife and son, and another friend, former Group Managing Director of Nigeria Exchange Group PLC, Abimbola Ogunbanjo’s passing has left me deeply saddened and affected.
“In the light of this tragedy, I’ve had to make a difficult decision to cancel my plans to be present physically at the match venue as a mark of respect to these great souls who made immense contributions to the development of our country particularly in education and youth empowerment through jobs.”
TheNewDiplomat had earlier reported that Wigwe, his wife, son and others died in an ill-fated helicopter crash on Friday night in California near the Nevada border, United States of America.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Eurocopter EC130 helicopter crashed at around 10 p.m. local time near Nipton, Calif, an unincorporated community about 60 miles south of Las Vegas in eastern San Bernardino County.
