I’ve no reason to take rest because of election — Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25 election and former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi said on Monday in Awka that he had no reason to take a rest after the 2023 presidential campaigns and the election that followed, arguing that those who had to rest had their reason for doing so.

Addressing reporters after visiting the Moslem community in Awka Central Mosque to celebrate the Eid-El Fitri with them, Obi said the kind of problems facing Nigeria did not warrant that her leaders should rest as there are many issues requiring consistent attention.

He said, “People who want to rest can go and rest. Me, I am not resting because I have to be visiting schools and hospitals and be interacting with people.

“No serious leader will go and rest in Nigeria. We will continue to visit as many people as we can, and also support them in the best way we can.”

He told the Muslim community that his visit had nothing to do with politics because the campaigns had ended.

According to him, it is not only when one is seeking political office that he should visit people, adding that no matter what people do in politics, Nigerians must also remain one.

He added, “I am a Christian and you are Muslims, but we are all Nigerians. Politics can also not divide us. I have never seen any road that is built and is only for Muslims to drive on, or seen any market where only Christians buy bread cheaper than Muslims. If you know such a market, please tell me, let me go and buy.

“If you go to Dubai, the land on which one of the biggest churches is built was donated by the ruler of Dubai who is a Moslem. In England too, a mosque was donated by the Queen, who is the head of the Church of England.

“We are one and we are created by the same God. We should therefore not allow religion or politics to divide us. Nigeria will continue to be one irrespective of political affiliation.

“When I told people that I will start fighting poverty from the north, some people said that the North is not poorer than South and that since I’m from the South, I should start here. But the truth is that I know that the vast land which we would use to solve the problem of poverty in Nigeria is in the north.

“We’re committed to a better Nigeria. What our people want are the good things of life because all of us are suffering the problems of Nigeria.”

He thanked them for supporting the Labour Party, which ensured that the party won the election in Anambra State.

He donated cartons of noodles, bags of rice and soft drinks to the community and promised to help them in the rebuilding of the Central mosque, which is undergoing a facelift.

The leader of the Muslim community in Awka, Alhaji Musa Bello who spoke on their behalf recalled that he was among Moslems sponsored to Mecca on a pilgrimage during Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra State.

Bello said, “We know you more than most people because we lived with you here in Awka when you were governor. Many of us were allocated land during your tenure and we cannot because of politics deny what you did for us.

“Many of us are members of the Obidient Movement and we are optimistic that you will reclaim your mandate.”

Another member of the community, Abdullahi Garba Haruna also testified that he had his primary and secondary education in Awka, during the period when Obi was governor under the state government scholarship.