Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has promised to end the security and economic challenges facing the country if elected.
Speaking at the grand finale of the Obidient Family rally held yesterday in Lagos, Obi assured that his administration would unite the country and create employment opportunities for Nigerians.
He urged his supporters, who came out in their thousands, to take note of his promises so that they can hold him accountable if elected president on February 25.
Obi said, “What Datti and I are telling you is that all the APC and PDP have done in the last 20 years is to produce insecurity, poverty, joblessness, ASUU strikes, fuel scarcity or one form of suffering or the other.
“But we are promising that we will secure and unite Nigeria. We will ensure that when we start after some years, no Nigerian would say I’m from the west, east, north or south but will be proud to say he or she is a Nigerian.
“We assure you that we are going to work hard to pull people out of poverty. We are going to ensure that our youths are employed and the way to do it is that we will remove this country from consumption to production.”
Speaking at the rally, the national chairman of the party, Julius Abure said PDP and APC had mismanaged the country.
He noted that all the years of APC and PDP represent years of woes, suffering, insecurity, hunger, and unemployment.
Abure, therefore urged Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the Labour party and Obi to redeem the country from total failure.
“The time for us to say enough is now because our people say that opportunity comes but once. This opportunity that the 2023 election has presented to us we must not allow it to elude us. We must take advantage of the opportunity,” he said.
Present at the rally were many important dignitaries including the leader of the Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, and many chieftains.
Earlier, thousands of traders at the Alaba International Market shut down the market to receive the Labour Party presidential candidate.
Obi led thousands of his supporters on a road walk from Alaba International to the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), the venue of his mega campaign rally.
Different groups and supporters of the Labour Party candidate marched on foot from most parts of the state to the TBS.
Obi addressed his supporters on the need to vote for him in the February 25 presidential election.
The Lagos rally is one of the biggest the Labour Party has held since the commencement of the presidential campaign on September 28, leading to gridlock in some routes in the state.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has confirmed an attack on supporters of Obi. The supporters were attacked along the Lekki/Ajah axis while en route in a mass transit bus to the TBS.
Obi, who said the attack was troubling, urged the police to get those behind it.
He said, “I received reports that four members of the Obedient Family were attacked and injured in Lagos ahead of today’s rally. That incident, premeditated or not, is deeply troubling. Such an act stands vehemently condemned.
“We cannot continue to tolerate attacks on members of the political opposition, often fueled by the incendiary rhetoric of political leaders. The new Nigeria that we seek is one founded on peace and justice, and respect for the rule of law. I call on the Lagos State security agencies to fish out those responsible for the attacks.”
A spokesman for the police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the attack on Obi’s supporters via a statement on his Twitter handle and assured that efforts were in top gear to fish out the perpetrators.
He said, “Jakande Ward Chairman of Labour Party commendably reported an attack on his party members at Ilasan Division. Four injured persons have been given medical attention. DPO Ilasan has commenced preliminary investigations while SCID is to fully take over investigations.
“The injured and other witnesses are assisting the police with relevant information that would aid the apprehension and prosecution of the attackers.
“This attack is reprehensible! It is verifiable that the Command had stationed, since yesterday, patrol vehicles and officers at the Tafawa Balewa Square venue of today’s rally. We had already secured the venue to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
“The regrettable attack happened about 15km away from the rally venue. As earlier stated, the SCID will take over investigations towards apprehending and prosecuting the attackers.” Hundeyin said.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party (LP) has said thugs believed to be from the All Progressives Congress (APC) launched brutal attacks on their supporters during the Lagos rally.
According to the LP, they aimed to stop the Obidients, supporters of the Obi/Datt candidacy from attending the campaign rally which was held at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos.
The Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, (LPPCC) Chief spokesman, Dr. Yunusa Tanko in a message sent on WhatsApp said many people were injured with the windscreens of several vehicles shattered by the hoodlums.
He said, “it’s highly regrettable that Lagos, which assumes the most sophisticated city in Africa, could witness this type of barbarism in the 21st Century.”
Tanko called on security agencies and the international community to hold the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the ruling APC government responsible for the mayhem.
The LPPCC chief spokesman further expressed disappointment in the inability of the security agencies to check the excesses of thugs in Lagos even though the signs of their threats started early when Labour Party flag boys were attacked by the hoodlums last year.
Tanko noted that the failure of the police to arrest and prosecute the suspects who attacked the LP flag boys then emboldened the thugs for what happened in Lagos yesterday.