CNPP PRESS STATEMENT:

GOVERNOR PETER OBI AND THE DANGER OF ETHNIC CARD

Conference of Nigerian Political Parties {CNPP} is alarmed over Governor Peter Obi’s penchant for ethnic card; which portends danger for our fledgling democracy.

Penultimate day, it was the issue of Yorubas deporting Igbos from Lagos, forgetting that he deported non-indigenes in 2009, yesterday it was an Hausa man, in this instance Malam Nasiru Elrufai, who came to stop his rigging plan and today the ethnic card allegation is that it was Osun State women who demonstrated at Awka against the sham Anambra State governorship election.

For the avoidance of doubt the women who demonstrated are aggrieved and courageous bonafide Anambra women whom Professor Attahiru Jega deliberately not only disenfranchised but stole their mandate. The video clips are still there, we therefore challenge Governor Obi to publicly point out Osun women in the video pictures. There is a limit to the endurance for a people whose mandate were stolen.

On the House Arrest of Malam Nasiru Elrufai, Governor Obi proclaimed, ‘As an APGA Chieftain, I won’t go to Katsina, ….if I ve my way I will bundle him out’. He forget that Elrufai’s freedom of movement is guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution Federal Republic of Nigeria, which he as governor swore to protect.

Governor Obi instead of the ethnic card, should do an introspection, asking himself, why the desperation in getting Ndi Anambra to seamlessly elect the candidate of my party, after 7 years of serving my people? Why is Senator Ngige an issue out of 23 candidates?

CNPP once more call for total cancellation of the election, and resignation of Professor Jega for complicity as events have shown the invincible hand of President Goodluck Jonathan in the sham election.

Otherwise how can his party the PDP abandon its candidate, Comrade Tony Nwoye and support APGA’s Pyrric victory in the face of gross irregularities and substantial evidences that tainted the election?

Mr Osita Okechukwu
National Publicity Secretary
CNPP