Obi denies making statements on PDP, ADC

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, has disowned statements indicating that he made comments about the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) recently.

 

Speaking through his Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) on Tuesday, said one of the statements “denies his returning to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and reaffirms his commitment to the African Democratic Congress, ADC.” 

 

According to him, a second statement claimed that “Obi has been offered the position of the National Organising Secretary, NOS, in the ADC.”

 

In a terse reaction, POMR said “Neither of the two purported statements originated from Obi or his media office.”

 

POMR Spokesman, Umar Ibrahim, wrote further, “The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party has been a subject of speculation in the political space even as he has remained focused on his mission for the establishment of a new Nigeria of our dreams.

 

“Peter Obi has been unequivocal in his position in the ongoing coalition and didn’t need anyone to put words into his mouth..

 

He has remained focused on his mission but would not accept anybody attributing a statement to him just to satisfy their devious agenda.

 

 

“The media office wishes, therefore, to urge the public to disregard any statement purported to come from him outside his media office or his official handle.”

 

The development came as the Interim National Chairman of the LP, Senator Nenadi Usman, criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to reward the victorious Super Falcons with cash gifts in Dollars, saying that the President was helping further devalue the Nigerian currency, the Naira.

 

Reacting through his Senior Special Adviser, Media, Mr Ken Asogwa, the LP chairman described Tinubu’s action as “utterly shameful.”

 

 The chairman noted, “Watching the President, on national television, announce that the victorious Super Falcons would receive financial rewards ‘equivalent to $100,000’ was not only nauseating but deeply unpatriotic.

 

“Even if, as some may argue, he meant the Naira equivalent, the symbolic elevation of the dollar over our national currency by the Commander-in-Chief is a damning indictment of his administration’s economic mindset.

 

“This act speaks volumes about the level of disdain and lack of faith this government has in the Naira – the very symbol of our economic sovereignty. Perhaps, at this rate, we should expect the national budget to soon be presented in dollars, or worse still, in a basket of foreign currencies.

 

“The Tinubu administration, having supervised the free fall of the Naira – from an already precarious N500 to over N1,500 to the dollar – appears to have thrown in the towel. 

 

“A president who openly shies away from promoting his national currency sends a dangerous message to the world and to his citizens: that the Naira is not worth defending.

 

“It is no surprise, therefore, that the World Bank, in its latest review, listed the Naira among the worst-performing currencies in Sub-Saharan Africa – depreciating by approximately 43% year-to-date. 

 

“This has been attributed to surging demand for the US dollar and an eroded confidence in the Naira, the actual practice the president has been busy abetting. 

 

“When the highest office in the land sets such a tone, what moral ground do we stand on to call on others to have faith in our currency? If this is not patriotism in reverse, then what is?”