2023: Give It To South-east; Obi Has My Vote – Clark Endorses LP Candidate

By Adesina Soyooye

It is a season of quality endorsements for the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

It began on New Year’s Day when former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in a lengthy open letter to Nigerians, asked the  youths to take back their  Country.

After analysing the Nigerian situation, he endorsed Peter Obi as the best man for the job.

This was, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, followed by the endorsement from the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom. In a statement signed on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Ortom said but for his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, he would have led Obi’s  campaign.

On same day, elder statesman and leader of the Niger Delta, Chief Edwin Clark, endorsed Obi.

Speaking to Journalists at his Asokoro Abuja home, Clark said the cap fits Obi as the LP candidate would unite Nigerians. He added that: “One who must be the next President of the country must be educated and experienced. The South-east should be allowed to produce the next President because the Zone has resource and educated people to govern Nigeria.”

Making reference to a meeting Obi held with PANDEF a few days ago,  Clarke said: “I have since been fully briefed on the successful outcome of  the meeting. Amongst other things, I have taken note of the following observations which came out of the meeting.

“That PANDEF presented the expectations and demands of the peoples of the Niger Delta, comprising infrastructural development, devolution of power, resource control, effective and inclusive participation in the oil and gas sector, amongst other things, to the Presidential Candidate.

“That the vision statement shared by His Excellency Peter Obi at the occasion, as it relates to making Nigeria more productive, using the rich resource endowment in every part of the country; curbing waste and fighting corruption; and creating jobs for our teeming youths through innovative initiatives is very commendable.

“That his restated commitment to restructuring and devolution of power, will promote harmony, peaceful coexistence amongst the states and constituent parts of the country.

“That his vision for more equity and justice as it pertains to the South-South region, which in the past sixty years has produced much of the revenue for the national economy, but has been neglected with little impact in terms of infrastructure and social development, is convincing and commendable.

“Peter Obi’s commitment to environmental justice to the clean up of the Niger Delta polluted communities is most welcomed, given that even the ongoing Ogoni clean-up has been rather slow.

“His commitment to inclusion of qualified persons from the Niger Delta in the national governance process in the future government if elected into power is very reassuring.”

Unconfirmed reports, trending on WhatsApp platforms and groups, indicate that former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, tweeted that he stands by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi on 1st January, 2023.

Not a few people believe that Ortom’s endorsement of Obi is an indication that the five PDP Governors who are at loggerheads with the leadership of the Party and its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, known as G-5, will adopt and endorse Obi as their candidate.