The Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation has reacted to the comments of the Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, against the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, saying “Soludo is itching for limelight.”
Soludo had, in a lengthy letter, maintained that Obi was not ready for the presidential race, declaring he was merely catching a cruise.
Responding in a statement signed by the spokesperson for the Obi-Datti presidential campaign organisation, Ndi Kato, the organisation said, “It seems obvious that Professor Soludo is itching for limelight in this election season, perhaps fired up by possible understanding or alliance with our struggling political opponents.”
The campaign organisation stressed that it had no interest in engaging with Soludo “this critical time when there is a bigger fish to fry.”
The statement read, “We read with amusement and dismay, a very lengthy and belaboured treatise of an article, written by Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State, focused on our presidential candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi.
“It seems obvious that Professor Soludo is itching for limelight in this election season, perhaps fired up by possible understanding or alliance with our struggling political opponents.
“While we note the glaring fallacies, misrepresentations, personal insinuations and signs of personal vendetta in that long writeup, neither His Excellency Peter Obi, the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, nor the Labour Party, for that matter, has any interest in an extended engagement with Prof Soludo this critical time when there is a bigger fish to fry.
“His Excellency Peter Obi has his work well cut-out for him this campaign season.
“Primarily, he is accelerating his reach-out and influence to all Nigerians, rural and urban, in all areas, regions and states; and firmly engaging them, on his critical and visionary plans to take the country from consumption to production.
“In doing this, Mr. Peter Obi is firmly placing the youths, intensive agricultural revolution, and revamping of critical areas of the economy as part of the focal points in the drive to turn around our fortunes and take back our country.
“We, the youths, spreading across partisan political lines, have found reason to place the highest level of trust and confidence in HE Peter Obi, and we are committed to continue in partnership with him, transparently, vigorously and creatively, to bring to fruition the vital changes urgently required in this our country of so much potential.
“We strongly believe that ‘A New Nigeria is POssible…’ and together with Peter Obi, we are working to make this a reality.
“This is our focus; this is our occupation.. and we shall not be distracted!”
Meanwhile, Obi has told Soludo to do better than he did while he governed the state.
While reacting to recent bashing he had received for Soludo, he said since he (Soludo) is a professor he should be able to do better in governing Anambra State
Obi said this on Tuesday at the 2022 Lagos Business School Alumni Conference, in Lagos.
Soludo had recently called out Obi saying his investments in Anambra was next to nothing and on Monday he added that Obi would not win the presidential race come 2023.
Obi said “He (Soludo) remains my brother. For other things (that) I did not succeed, God has given him the opportunity to succeed. For me, you don’t finish governance. You stop where you stop and other people continue from there. He is the governor of my state, he is my senior brother and he is even more intelligent than me because he is a professor and I am a trader.
“So he knows more, so he should be able to do things better than I am doing it. I have done my little own as a trader, now the professor is there, he should be able to do his own as a professor. The schools I didn’t roof, he will roof them, another person will do his own too.”
“The one they said is worthless, we invested N3.5 billion in International Breweries…that facility is there employing directly and indirectly over 10,000 Anambarians. The shares was at a time being sold at N50, today the shares is about N5 or so.
“When you spread your investment some will go up some will come down but overall the company is still there, the company is still doing well, it is still part of the global chain and everything. I needed to explain it not because I am defending comments by my brother,” the LP candidate said.
He also mentioned that he left the office without owing any contractor, supplier who had executed their job.
Also, Soludo has been criticised by Nigerians on social media for his comments on the Labour Party presidential candidate.
Soludo said Obi could not win the 2023 presidential election, adding that Obi himself is aware that he would not win the seat of the presidency.
The governor, who said this on Monday in an article titled, ‘History beckons and I will not be silent (Part 1)’, added that the LP flagbearer is only playing games.
Soludo said, “Let’s be clear: Peter Obi knows that he can’t and won’t win. He knows the game he is playing, and we know too, and he knows that we know.
“The game he is playing is the main reason he didn’t return to the All Progressives Grand Alliance. The brutal truth (and some will say, God forbid) is that there are two persons/parties seriously contesting for president: the rest is exciting drama!”
Nigerians on Twitter have since reacted to Soludo’s comment on Obi. Soludo is currently the number two trending topic on Twitter with over 210,000 tweets
On Twitter Moris Monye, brother of former presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress, Chukwuma Monye, said under the leadership of APC in the last seven years, Soludo had never criticised the Buhari-led administration for the state of the country but chooses to criticise Obi.
Monye tweeted, “No one is asking the Igbo political class to support Peter Obi but at least treat him with dignity and respect. Keep your support but be dignified.
“Tells the character of Soludo that after eight years of horizontal wickedness, incompetence and squandermania of the Buhari regime, he didn’t say a word of criticism to the general. But her comes Peter Obi and his buccal cavities come alive.”
Also on Twitter, #EndSARS participant, Rinu Oduola said, “That Soludo article is utterly shameless, lacking dignity, reeks of envy, bile and jealousy, provocative and insulting. Referencing someone as Hitler, calling people Nazis? Words elude me.”
Oduola further said, “Charles Soludo doesn’t have time for the flood victims in Anambra but has time to sit and write a series diatribe on Peter Obi. @CCSoludo shame on you.”
Another popular tweep, Akin Olaoye said, “Peter Obi please do not ask us your support base not to address @CCSoludo comment. He said he is your friend and kinsman, but that article was nothing short of venomous, toxic and a poor attempt to ridicule your accomplishments.”
Also commenting, Edwin Ogelenya tweeted, “Prof Umeadi (APGA presidential candidate) and Peter Obi are Soludo’s kinsmen. Is Umeadi likely to win the presidential elections? No! Is Obi likely to win? Most likely. Therefore, Soludo should support APGA which is alright but he shouldn’t run down his kinsman.”
Another tweep simply identified as Emmanuel said, “We don’t want him (Soludo) to support Obi, just give a level playing field. Somethings are not meant for politics, advertise your candidate and not emotionally blackmail people into voting. What Soludo is doing is emotional blackmail and for people that swore to elect Peter Obi, that won’t work.”
The Punch
