Residents of Nasarawa state has held a one-million-man march in solidarity and support for the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The groups, a coalition of 56 support groups across the 13Local Government Areas of the state on Saturday marched from the College of Agriculture junction along Jos road to the U-turn linking the Lafia main market along Makurdi road, carrying several inscriptions which indicated their love and support for Obi.
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A video posted on Igwe Martins YouTube channel tagged “Nasarawa one million march for Peter Obi” shows a multitude of people matching n a carnival like procession on one lane of a dual-carriage motorway. Singing and dancing, with some carrying several inscriptions.
Wilson Kingsley, the secretary of the coalition said that residents of the state came out in their numbers to support the former Anambra state governor, because they were tired of the misrule of the All Progressives Congress-led government at the federal and state levels.
He mentioned the support groups to include Peter Obi Candidacy Movement, Women for Peter Obi, Peter Obi Support Network, Peter Obi Ambassadors, Like Minds for Peter Obi, TakeBackNaija, Nigeria Needs Peter Obi, Peter Obi movement for President, Associates of Peter Obi, among others.
He said, “These one million supporters are those who belong to the registered 56 groups across the 13 LGAs of the state. We are not campaigning at the moment because the Independent National Electoral Commission have not given a go-ahead. What we are doing today is a march to declare our support for Mr. Peter Obi.
“We are supporting him because we believe that he has the capacity and ability to take Nigeria to greater heights. We are tired of all the politicians who deceive us every election year, telling us that they will provide good governance but they never fulfill their promises.
“The present government have completely failed the citizens. They promised to provide security and ensure stability for our economy but everyone can see what Nigeria has become. Everything in the market have increased in price but the salary of workers did not increase.
“Our children have been at home for almost six months now because universities are on strike but our leaders are not bothered about the situation because their children do not attend Nigerian schools. We are really tired of bad governance, so we are ready to effect a positive change in the country in 2023 using our permanent voter cards.”
The State Chairman of Labour Party, Alexander Emmanuel, who participated in the rally, said the one-million-man march was held to sensitise the people of the state on the need to elect credible leaders in the 2023 elections, and to prove a point to other political parties who had alleged that the Labour party did not have a structure.
He expressed confidence that the party will win the 2023 presidential election and all elective positions in Nasarawa state, adding that, the residents were tired of bad governance and were ready to vote for the party’s candidates in the coming elections.
On its official Twitter handle, Labour Party said that the Obi 1 million match was more than “structure.”
Obi 1 million match in lafia today was more than 'structure'@PeterObi#JoinusrescueNigeria#Obidatti2023 pic.twitter.com/h2mHDLmk1W
— LabourPartyNG (@NgLabour) August 6, 2022
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur