Obi in London, says Nigeria needs what disaporans can offer to change it
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Peter Obi has left the United States in his journeys to diasporans and crossed the Atlantic to the United Kingdom where he repeated to another group of Nigerians in London that he has not received $150 million donation as alleged.
The allegation was made by Tinubu-Shettima Connect, the political organisation of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu and his running mate Kashim Shettima.
Tinubu-Shettima Connect asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify Obi and his running mate Yusuf Ahmed-Baba for allegedly receiving foreign donations.
Obi has widespread support among young Nigerians and wants the 2023 vote to be based on merit.
He denies receiving foreign donation. His Labour Party (LP) also dismisses as “ridiculous” claims he is abroad to solicit for foreign funds for his presidential run.
“Nobody has given me anything,” Obi told the audience in the British capital.
“That is speculation. What I need is not what they would give me. But what they would give Nigeria, because we need them to turn around Nigeria.
“This is the energy, the capacity that we need to turn around Nigeria. Every country that was turned around, was turned around by the diaspora. Even in the Bible, Joseph who [was taken to Egypt] later [turned round] to feed his people.”
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Obi just consulting, not campaigning yet
Obi has been meeting with the Nigerian Diaspora across the world in recent weeks, travelling to the UK, on to Canada, across the US, and now back in the UK.
He said his meetings are not campaigns which the INEC says should officially start on 28 September.
“It is not campaign, it is consultation,” he clarified, per Vanguard reporting.
“I am consulting Nigerian diasporans to know why they should be involved in the Nigerian electoral process. And you can see from my conversation and everything that what I am doing is saying let’s get involved.
“They are the most critical components of turning around Nigeria. The investment Nigeria needs to turn around is diasporans. If they believe in Nigeria and bring their resources, both in terms of their material, talent, and energy, we will turn around the country.”
LP insists Obi not scavenging for foreign cash
LP National Publicity Secretary Abayomi Oluwafemi told Vanguard speculation Obi wants foreign funds as part of the antics of opponents intimidated by the rising profile of the former Anambra Anambra Governor running for the Villa.
Said he: “It is ridiculous that our political opponents have descended to a new low to insinuate that our party is oblivious of electoral laws.
“For the avoidance of doubt, neither our party nor our candidate is seeking for foreign funding for any of our activities.
“Our candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, is hitting the ground running.
“He is reaching out to Nigerians in the diaspora most of whom have lost confidence in the current administration and see no reason to come home to invest.
“He is getting them ready to have a rethink because the incoming Labour Party-led administration, which, by the grace of God, he and Datti will be leading, will provide an enabling environment for direct foreign investment required to revive our ailing economy which the APC has unfortunately destroyed.”