Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Director-General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Doyin Okupe, has dismissed as a ruse, speculations in some quarters that the presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has formed an alliance with his Peoples Democratic Party PDP, counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2023 general election.
The former Presidential Assistant on Media and Publicity, said that the “imaginary alliance” rumour was part of the propaganda war unleashed against Obi by those who feel threatened by his swelling popularity and acceptance across Nigeria.
Okupe who made the rebuttal in a statement Wednesday, said that Obi whose candidature enjoys the teeming support of Nigerians from across different political, ethnic and religious divides had no need to go into any alliance with any presidential candidate.
He, urged Nigerians to discountenance the rumour which he said was unfounded, and a propaganda tool by Obi’s detractors.
The statement made available to Ikengaonline read in part: “By the Grace of God and the massive acceptance and support of the Nigerian people, home and abroad, and especially the youths, Obi is far ahead of all other presidential candidates in the country.
“He, therefore cannot, logically, be negotiating with any other less popular candidates or their parties.
“Members of the public are hereby advised to ignore this cheap, self serving and distracting propaganda, which we also believe is not coming from the Atiku camp.
“The train of the OBIdient movement gathers more and more electorates on a hourly basis, while it is evident that the political fortunes and followership of the other parties diminish and recede like a drying lake in the scorching heat of an arid desert.
“The Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation is focused on our mission which is to Take Back Nigeria and hand it over to the Nigerian Youths, to secure their collective Destiny.
“Our compelling commitment and promise is to move Nigeria from consumption to production and so help us God.”