By Nwafor Okafor
The Peter Obi Support Network (POSN) has asked the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress( APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his loyalists to stop wishing the organised labour dead(Obituary)
The group’s reaction followed an article in a national daily ( not New National Star) by a journalist, Mr Sam Omatseye, titled, ” Obi-tuary.’
The POSN in a statement issued on Wednesday observed with dismay that Tinubu had refused to condemn the “obituary column” written by one of his aides, Mr. Sam Omatseye.
The group’s statement read partly,
“If Tinubu did not sanction that article, it would not have been published in his newspaper. If he did not sanction it, by now Omatseye would have been sacked or,at least, reprimanded for that satanic piece.
“For Tinubu and his camp to keep quiet on this sacrilegious write-up by one of his confidants and published by his own newspaper speaks volumes. It betrays Tinubu’s endorsement of the column which has attracted widespread condemnation except from the Asiwaju and his camp.”
The group noted that it was the second time in barely three weeks that the Tinubu camp had prayed for death in the Obi camp, recalling that Tinubu himself during an APC rally in Osun State on July 13, 2022 publicly declared that Labour Party’s ‘Obidients’ – as Obi’s supporters are otherwise known – would labour till death.
Continuing, POSN said, “Tinubu has brought in ethnicity, religion and now death wish into the 2023 campaign. It portends grave danger.
“Ethnicity: He was the only presidential candidate who said, ‘It is my turn. It is Yorubas’ turn’. Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and others accentuated it with their ethnic comments and actions.
“Religion: He was the only one who disregarded the religious plurality in his choice of running mate, thereby making religion a talking point in this campaign season.
“Repeated reference to death – He was the one who said that Labour Party supporters will labour in vain to their death. Now he has published a full-page article in his newspaper (The Nation) referring to #PeterObi as ‘OBI-TUARY’, another reference to death. In that same article, he also engaged in the demonization of the Igbos, a clear attempt to set Igbos up for hate and attacks.
“It is obvious the Tinubu camp is desperate and ready to fight dirty in this campaign. But this is not 2015. The people are ready to meet them squarely.”
POSN challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as the electoral umpire not to be indifferent to the excesses of Tinubu and his supporters., adding “While Tinubu is free to pursue his life ambition to become Nigeria’s President by hook or by crook, he should realise that Nigeria is bigger than his selfish ambition and should refrain from unnecessarily heating up the polity.
“INEC should call him to order without further delay before he plunges the country into needless chaos with his unguarded utterance and hate speech.”
