The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, has described Chief Arthur Eze as a respected Nigerian who is entitled to his own opinions and beliefs. Obi said this on Wednesday while reacting to Arthur Eze’s recent unsolicited advice for him to step down from the 2023 presidential contest.
Speaking to journalists at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Obi described Arthur Eze as a respected father not just in Igboland but in Nigeria. Obi further said that like every other person, Arthur Eze has the right to his own opinion, beliefs and freedom of speech, which should be respected.
Once again, appealing to his teeming supporters, Obi advised them not to allow what some consider as adverse comments to dampen their spirit or force them to lose focus on the goal. “Such speeches should always be taken positively, as reminding us that we still have several hurdles to cross and to remain focused at all times, without being dragged back,” Obi said.
He further reiterated his preparedness to remain with many suffering Nigerians, who see in the 2023 election, the hope for Nigeria to overcome the sufferings of the past and start a new chapter in her development.
On who he referred to as “suffering Nigerians”, Obi said that everybody is suffering in the Nigeria of today, but that some are more directly affected, such as “the millions of people who do not know where the next meal will come from; thousands of Nigerian students who no longer go to school on account of hardship; those who cannot get adequate health care due to the collapse of that sector, over 100 million Nigerians that live in poverty.” Obi said he had decided to devote the rest of his life towards contributing to solving the myriad of Nigeria’s problems and called on Nigerians of goodwill to join the cause for the emancipation of the country.