Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi has dismissed reports that he intends to vie for presidency in 2027.
He issued a statement via his official Twitter account on Saturday, July 15, saying that it is fake news predicated on interviews and press remarks he never granted.
Obi also said it is regrettable that politics has sunken to a level where media houses are being manipulated. The former governor Anambra state reiterated that his focus on is on deepening democracy and uplifting the poor.
He also said that he will not concern himself with trolls that seek to distract, adding that the circulation of fake news and propaganda will not stop him from speaking on topical national issues.
He said; “I have noticed with dismay, an emerging pattern where fake media reports and news items are predicated on interviews and press remarks I never granted. Two recent instances relate to my saying that I am looking forward to running for office in 2027 on a supposed Arise TV interview that never took place. The other is about my reaction to prospective appointees into the Federal Government. Both reports are bogus. Regrettably, our politics have sunken to this abysmal level where manipulation of the media space is now a trade.
For me, I shall continue to speak on topical national issues via recognized news and media outfits. But I certainly will not concern myself with cheap distractive trolls. My focus and that of the Obidient Movement will not derail from the original mission of creating a new Nigeria which we believe is POssible.
Our emphasis has never been on political positions or personal aggrandizement, but on putting the nation on the right footing and deepening our democracy by helping to elevate and empower the downtrodden in our society. That was why our messages during the electioneering campaigns were all issue-driven.”
Meanwhile, he recently said that he agrees with the comments made by Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates on the surge of young professionals leaving Nigeria for “greener pastures”.
The American billionaire spoke on the “Japa Syndrome” during an interactive session with innovators on ‘Advancing Africa: Unleashing the Power of Youth in Science and Innovation’ held on Wedneday in Lagos State.
Reacting, Obi said the trend of Nigerians traveling toother countries to explore opportunities will favour Nigeria in the long run.
According to the former governor of Anambra state, the knowledge they acquired abroad will be very essential in the rebuilding of the nation when government starts doing the right things.
He wrote; I read and agree with Bill Gates’s recent comment on the “japa” syndrome, where, according to reports, he stated that the recent surge of Nigerian professionals leaving the country for greener pastures is good and healthy for our country.
I have always preached and maintained this same position on the “japa wave”. For years now, and throughout my campaign in the last Presidential election, especially during my tours from Canada, the USA, Germany, the UK, and other countries, I maintained that “Our brain drain today will be our brain gain tomorrow.”
Nigerians leaving the country may look like a loss today, but when we start doing the right things and taking the governance of our nation more seriously, the knowledge and resources from them will be critical in the building of the New Nigeria, as it happened in China, India, Ireland and other developing countries.
Today, India prides itself as one of the countries with the biggest tech talents in the world, having produced some of the world’s top engineers and computer scientists. Many top global tech companies are headed by CEOs of Indian origin. So India’s success in the tech industry can partly be attributed to its ability to harness the knowledge and resources of Indians in the diaspora for their national growth.
Nigeria will grow and develop on all fronts when we build the New Nigeria that prioritises investment in education, health, and support for small businesses, guarantees respect for the rule of law, security of lives and properties, and unity of the nation.
Then our diasporan Nigerians around the world will return home with their global training, skills and resources, to immeasurably contribute to building a New and better Nigeria. We will not give up on our dreams for the New Nigeria.
