Ben Ezechime, Enugu
It turned out a near carnival at Amuri, in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State on Friday when Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the just concluded Presidential/National Assembly election came to commiserate with the family of slain Senatorial candidate of the party, the Late Barrister Oyibo Chukwu.
Obi was accompanied on the visit by the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abule, and Senator Victor Umeh.
The Governorship candidate of LP in Enugu State, Barrister Chijioke Edeoga also joined the entourage Midway at Eke Agbani from where they walked a distance of about two kilometres to the family house of the Chukwus.
Obi and his entourage were received by the younger brother of Late Oyibo Chukwu, Barrister Kevin Chukwu, who incidentally had been elected to replace his late elder brother as the party’s Senatorial Candidate for Enugu East.
It would be recalled that following the murder of Oyibo Chukwu seven days to the National Assembly election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rescheduled the senate election for Enugu East to March 18, to coincide with the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
After their condolence visit, Obi and his entourage were greeted by thousands of cheering crowd at Eke Agbani market, chanting and singing his praises.
The entire community and the surrounding communities were agog as people trooped from far and near shouting Obi! Obi! Obi!
Obi, who was highly elated always beaming with smiles, acknowledged the cheers from the crowd.
Though, he was not in the mood of campaigning, he, nevertheless, charged the surging crowd to vote for all candidates of the Labour Party, including the Governorship, the Senatorial and the State House of Assembly candidates during Saturday, March 18 elections.
He lamented the gruesome, brutal and inhuman killing of one of their own, Oyibo Chukwu, who was coasting home to victory, and explained that the Obidient Movement will, not only, bring prosperity to the country but will wipe out injustice.
Speaking further, Obi said: “We are here today to pay condolences to the family of our candidate, Oyibo Chukwu, the entire family, the people of Amurri community and Enugu state.
“It was very sad for our own candidate, brother and father, who was in this journey with us but the enemies killed him.
“I always say that God called him. May the Almighty who called him, grant him eternal rest in His kingdom.
“We thank the party faithful in this senatorial zone for choosing his brother, Barr. Kelvin Chukwu as our candidate.
“We ask the people of Enugu East to support him. We will be sure that what ever effort the brother would have contributed to Nigeria, that he will be committed to it.
“So, we are in Enugu today to urge you to support Labour Party. We urge you to go out en masse in the forthcoming elections to support our Party, Labour Party. It’s important we support Labour Party.
“You can see that the governorship candidate of Enugu State, Barr. Chijioke Edeoga is here; National chairman of the party, Barr. Abule; Abia state guber candidate, Alex Otti is here; Senator, representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh and all the House of Assembly candidates are here; to sympathise with you.
“I urge you to continue to pray for the family of Oyibo Chukwu and may God continue to bless the people of Amuri and Enugu people.”
In his response on behalf of the family, the elder brother of late Oyibo Chukwu, Prof. Lucky Chukwu commended Peter Obi and his entourage for coming to commiserate with them.
While condemning the attitude of their leaders in Enugu East for not issuing a statement to condemn the atrocity, he disclosed that the killers were able to kill his flesh not his spirit.
“We feel honored by the presence of Mr. Peter Obi in our home and town.
“Oyibo was assassinated days to the election, they killed his flesh but not the spirit.
“When this incident happened I expected that our leaders, Jim Nwobodo and former Senate President Ken Nnamani and others should have issued a statement condemning it but it never happened.
“My brother believed in fairness, justice, equity and hates abomination,” he said.
He appealed to Ndi Enugu to ensure that Barr. Chijioke Edeoga and other Labour Party candidates won the March 18 election in Enugu state.
“What Enugu people owe this family is to vote for Labour Party and make sure that Barr. Chijioke Edeoga wins the election, vote for my brother, Kelvin Chukwu for Senate and every other candidate.
“Edeoga will win, my brother will win other candidates will win and Obi will win his case in the court to reclaim his mandate to help the spirit of my brother rest,” he said.
However, Obi’s visit and the call for Ndi Enugu to vote for Edeoga and other LP candidates in the forthcoming Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections was very instructive in that, it has brought to an end insinuations and rumours making the round that, Obi had rejected Edeoga’s candidature and was never interested in other candidates of the party despite the landslide victory the people gave to party in the Presidential/National Assembly election.
This will definitely unsettle those who have been in the vanguard of such rumours and who have been doing all they could to make people believe that Mr Peter Obi and his ‘Obidients movement’ in the state are not supporting the LP candidates and had abandoned them to their fate.
