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The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has dispelled the idea that he is not different from other politicians who have dumped one political party for another.
Nigerian politicians are fond of jumping parties mostly to remain in power and stay relevant politically.
Obi ruled Anambra state as a governor on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA). In 2014, he dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ahead of the 2019 general election, Obi was presented by the PDP as a running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar but they lost the election to Muhammadu Buhari.
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Eight years after joining the PDP, the former governor of Anambra left the party and joined the Labour Party in May 2022.
He subsequently emerged as the presidential candidate of the party for the 2023 general election in June.
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However, since he launched his presidential campaign, Obi has gained a reputation for being anti-establishment as he consistently speaks about cutting the cost of governance and reducing corruption to the barest minimum in Nigeria.
But due to his movement from one party to another, many Nigerians believe Obi is a member of the political class that brought the country to its present situation; and can’t claim to be different from them.
This sentiment was recently re-echoed by the vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.
During a town hall meeting organised by Arise TV, Okowa while responding to a question said Obi cannot claim to be strange to the main opposition party in Nigeria because he was once a member of the party.
Okowa said, “The last time I checked, in 2019, I’m sure Peter Obi was the vice-presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar and he paid a lot of tributes to Atiku Abubakar and the last time I checked, up till May 24, 2022, he was still an aspirant under the PDP.
“So, he cannot claim to be strange to the PDP or to the party. It is wrong to present that kind of situation to Nigerians and I think it is important to address issues the way they are.”
However, in his interview with Trust TV, Obi maintained that he is different from other politicians because he seeks to do the right things.
When asked what sets him apart from a typical Nigerian politician who jumps parties, Obi said, “I am different. The difference is that when I see things not going the way I think they should, I move on. I would rather do the right thing and lose than do the wrong thing and win, that is why I am different.”
Since he joined the presidential race in May, Obi has become one of the big candidates in the race with a large number of youths yearning for his presidency.