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The Cross River State chapter of Obi-Datti Movement has vehemently berated the All Progressives Congress for instigating what it described as Xenophobic attack against the Igbo community in the state ahead of Saturday’s governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
Earlier yesterday, the APC group under the umbrella of CONCERNED CITIZENS OF CROSS RIVER STATE had in a statement said that “CROSS RIVER STATE IS NOT THE GROUND FOR EXTERNAL INFLUENCE AND TRIBAL POLITICS”.
The group also said all manner of unprintable things which if not addressed could possibly lead to break down of law and order.
Meanwhile, Obi-Datti Movement in a terse statement which a copy was made available to News Band, has accused APC — hirelings of going berserk after Mr Peter Obi during his appearance on Arise Television Morning show endorsed the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the State.
While warning CONCERNED CITIZENS OF CROSS RIVER STATE (APC) over their vilification of Mr Peter Obi and the Igbo community in the state, the support group however noted that the position of APC is not a true reflection of the style of politics in Cross River State.
The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a malicious media onslaught and campaign of calumny targeted against our Principal, Mr Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party and Leader of the Obidient Movement, by members of the All Progressive Congress and supporters of the APC Gubernatorial candidate in Cross River State, under the auspices of CONCERNED CITIZENS OF CROSS RIVER STATE.
“In a fastidious press release sparsely circulating online with the caption “CROSS RIVER STATE IS NOT THE GROUND FOR EXTERNAL INFLUENCE AND TRIBAL POLITICS” the faceless hirelings and agents of the All Progressive Congress, threw caution to the wind and went on rampage against our Principal, over a video of him on Arise TV endorsing the candidacy of the Gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party Cross River State, Senator Sandy Ojang Onor. Communicating this Press Statement on behalf of the entire members of the Obi-Datti Movement in Cross River State, we wish to state unequivocally that:
“Our Principal, Mr Peter Obi made reference to the PDP Gubernatorial Candidate on personal note and has not coerced anybody, against their personal conviction, to support a particular candidate, even in states where there are gubernatorial candidates of the Labour Party. For instance, in Enugu State, where Mr. Peter Obi is openly supporting the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party, another prominent member of the Obi-Datti Movement and Presidential Campaign Council, Aisha Yusuf, has openly declared Support for another Candidate, Mr. Frank Nweke, under the platform of APGA, and this is permissible in the Obi-Datti family.
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“We have meticulously followed the political trajectory in Cross River State and in keeping to the philosophy of the OBI-DATTI Movement, we support candidates based on competence and credibility and not political party, hence we believe that it is the inalienable right of our Principal to throw his weight behind any credible Candidate irrespective of Political Party.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the ethnic coloration given to the endorsement by our Principal and the subtle threat issued to the Igbo Community in Cross River State, by this desperate agents of the APC, making references to the issues of Civil War and the installation of Ezeigbo in Cross River State, as an affront to the throne of the Obong of Calabar, thereby trying to instigate the people of the State against the Igbo Community. For emphasis, the following statement in that press release remain reprehensible and unbecoming,
“”Cross River State is a state that bore the horrible scars of the civil war, a war we never wanted and has remained a safe haven for the likes of Peter Obi and his brothers…, even when they dared the throne of Obong of Calabar by trying to install an Ezeigbo. This should not be taken for granted because as we enter this new era in our history, we are saying NO, to a past system that empowers strangers over and above our citizens”
“It is worthy of note to stress that, the same APC hirelings who today, are trying to vilify our principal, Mr. Peter Obi and the leadership of the Labour Party in Cross River State, were the first to beg the Labour Party to endorse their Candidate. While we wish not to dabble into the issues of the unnecessary aspersions cast on our Principal and his business life in Cross River State, we wish to remind the desperate members of the All Progressive Congress that, we CAN NEVER support a political party like APC that stole our Presidential mandate, and as “Obidients” we shall obediently follow the convictions of our Principal, Mr. Peter Obi, in discharging our franchise come March 18th 2023.
“We call on all members of the Obi-Datti Movement, especially our Igbo brothers to remain committed and resolute in voting a candidate of their choice. We invite security agencies to take note of the ethnocentric and chauvinistic style of Politics of the APC in Cross River as this can lead to xenophobic attack against the Igbos in Cross River State.
“Finally, we urge members of the public to disregard the press release from those desperate agents of the APC and the inherent threat. We assure the Igbo community that the position of the APC is not a true reflection of our style of Politics in Cross River State. We are hospitable and accommodates distinct political interests.”
