Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), stated that the 2023 general elections demonstrated that Yorubas do not despise Igbos.
Obi made the remarks while accepting the 2024 Courageous Citizen Award from the Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy (NACJD) in Abuja on Saturday.
The former governor of Anambra State stated that the election was not on a Christian or Igbo agenda.
He stated that the 2023 general election witnessed Nigerians unite across tribal and religious lines and that the poll dispelled the myth that Yorubas detest Igbos.
Obi mentioned that the massive turnaround was an indication that Nigerians desired a change from the status quo.
“It was a time that Nigerians united and spoke with one voice regardless of tribe, tongue, or religion. The 2023 election wasn’t a Christian or Igbo project.
“It was a Nigerian project. I saw our legends and elder statesmen come together for the first time. I was glad to see people like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, and others stand their ground.
“I am saying this to correct the impression that the Yorubas hate Igbo people. A lot of people made certain sacrifices because we just wanted to say, ‘Enough is enough’ in Nigeria. Imagine those who had lost their lives for the cause of a new Nigeria,” he said.
Recall that Obi finished third in the 2023 presidential election, trailing his PDP competitor, Atiku Abubakar, and the winner, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
However, prior to the election, many Nigerian youths adopted Obi’s ideas and went out in large numbers to vote for him.
