Osuntokun replaces Okupe as DG, Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council

 

.Obi is pan Nigerian project, not Igbo, citizens tackle Arthur Eze

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

 

Labour Party has replaced Dr. Doyin Okupe with Professor Akin Osuntokun as the Director General of the Obi- Datti Presidential Campaign Council, following the resignation of the former.

National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure made this known during the National Working Committee Meeting with the Party Candidates, State Chairmen and States PCC Coordinators in Abuja.

Mr Abure said Osuntokun was considered because of his vast experience, commitment and efforts to deliver Mr Peter Obi as the next President of Nigeria in the 2023 elections.

He emphasized that in order to cover the six Geo- political zones, Osuntokun who is from the same zone with Dr Okupe is expected to work harmoniously with all party members of the party to ensure the party’s victory in the 2023 elections.

“The Party’s Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi and other Party stakeholders were part of the decision to appoint the new Director General of the Party campaign council” Abure added.

Dr Doyin Okupe, had resigned as the Director General of Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council following his conviction by a Federal High Court in Abuja for Money laundering.

Until recently, Osuntokun was the party’s Zonal Coordinator (South). He is a Nigerian political scientist, strategist, researcher, administrator, journalist and writer, with experience in media advocacy, policy research and implementation and political analysis.

 

A former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, Osuntokun served as Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and as Director of the presidential campaign of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2011.

However, The supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, popularly known as Obidients have replied to the statement by a former governor of Anambra, Arthur Eze, condemning Obi’s ambition of contesting for the office of the president in 2023.

 

Eze, on Monday, said he warned Obi not to run for the highest political office in the country, noting he had told him he would not win, hence he would not support him.

 

The Anambra-born billionaire said this during the 2022 Ofala festival of His Royal Highness Igwe Robert Eze, the traditional ruler of Ukpo in Dunukofia local government area of the state.

 

“I warned Peter Obi to withdraw from this race but he would not listen. I told him plainly that I’m not part of his plans. I told him to drop his ambition…I told him he cannot win; so that he would not waste his time and money,” Eze said yesterday.

 

Reacting to Eze’s statement, Obidients said Obi is not running for the South-East region dominated by Igbo people, but rather contesting to be the president of Nigerian people to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

 

They said Obi, a Nigerian project does not need the support of Igbo politicians alone to become president but that of the Nigerian electorate who are his political structure.

 

 

Leading the conversation on the microblogging site, Cardinal Francis Arinze said Eze’s position was a strong indication that next year’s election is a battle between the poor masses and the rich politicians.

Francis Cardinal Arinze @C_FrancisArinze tweeted, “Mr Arthur Eze’s comment on Peter Obi is a clear sign that 2023 election will be a tussle between the poor and the rich, the youth and elders.

 

“If our Nigerian youths fail to take back their country in 2023, they will experience the worst suppression ever.

 

Other netizens’ reactions are below: Doctör Penking™ @drpenking wrote, “Arthur Eze has distanced himself from Peter Obi’s ambition just like Charles Soludo. It might seem odd but this gladdens my heart. It goes a long way to prove that Peter Obi is not an Igbo or Anambra project. He is a Nigerian project. Vote Peter Obi for a better Nigeria.”

 

Arthur Eze has distanced himself from Peter Obi’s ambition just like Charles Soludo. It might seem odd but this gladdens my heart. It goes a long way to prove that Peter Obi is not an Igbo or Anambra project. He is a Nigeria project.

When Peter Obi said as Anambra state Governor the Igbo big men did not like his administration because he worked for the people he was referring to men like Arthur Eze.PO is a Nigerian Project and all he needs is the support of NIGERIANS to make him President. Obidients we move💯,” said, NKEM #PeterObi2023 @Nkemchor_

 

Pastor Idowu Bankole @Olubankoleidowu added, “Arthur Eze is just one man; we the poor masses are in large numbers and many a time Peter Obi has reiterated that we are his structure. Whether Obi is getting support from Igbo brothers or not, we have resolved to stand by him and ensure the country is changed for the better.”

 

 

 

@chybxo reacted, “Arthur Eze opposed Obi and even Obiano’s governorship bid back then, Soludo has always been his man. Without Arthur Eze’s support, Peter Obi was governor and Peter Obi doesn’t need him to be president! They’ll all hang President Peter Obi’s picture on their walls from next year.”

 

It’s people like Arthur Eze, we want to take power from – Obi’s spokesman

Diran Onifade, the Spokesperson for the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has described comments ascribed to Anambra businessman, Chief Arthur Eze, about the LP candidate as unfortunate but not unexpected.

 

Onifade said this in a telephone interview with Vanguard, in Abuja, on Tuesday.

 

 

 

He was responding to Eze’s call on Obi to jettison his Presidential ambition because Ndigbo had other plans for now and in the future.

 

 

 

 

Onifade who made it clear that he was expressing his personal opinion on the subject, said, “It is the influence of people like that that we want to take our politics away from.

 

 

 

“He is part of the establishment and structure that young Nigerians what to take our country back from.

 

 

 

“When we take power from the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress, the likes of Arthur Eze will no longer wield the kind of influence they enjoy today.

 

 

 

“You don’t expect them to take this lying down. Our candidate and our campaign remain focused on the take ahead which is to take back our country, rebuild it to make it take its proper place in the comity of nations. “