The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has hailed Nigerian youths and others who marched in support of his candidacy in Abuja, on Saturday.
Thousands of supporters, under the aegis of the fast growing ‘Obidient Movement’ took to the streets of the city in support of Mr Obi.
Many of the supporters who held the posters of the LP candidate and his vice, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, and had branded vests, marched from the Unity Fountain in the Central Business District to the City Gate leading to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport road.
Mr Obi, in a tweet, expressed his delight at the action of his supporters and wished a newly wedded couple who participated in the exercise a fruitful union.
“From Kano, I am watching the OBIdients gathered in Abuja and exercising their constitutional rights to peaceful assembly. I salute you all. I appreciate you all. God bless you all and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Salute and congratulations to this newly wedded couple in Abuja, whose special day coincided with the Obidient Family March in Abuja; and they marched too! Wishing you both a blissful and happy married life and children, who will grow up in a united, secure and productive Nigeria,” he said in the tweet shared on his wall on Saturday.
Messrs Obi and Baba-Ahmed were on the same day at the palace of the Emir of Gaya, Aliyu Ibrahim, in furtherance of their nationwide consultations.
Before the Abuja leg of the exercise, Mr Obi’s supporters had held similar rallies on the streets of the capitals of Ebonyi, Anambra, Bayelsa, Plateau, Nasarawa, Rivers, Imo, among others.
The National Chairman of the LP, Julius Abure, said the turnout for the Abuja rally did not come to him as a surprise because his party “has a people-oriented candidate in the person of Mr Obi.”
He said the people who trooped out in support of the candidate will also fund the process that will see him to power in the 2023 general elections.
“Of course, the people must own the process, the people will fund the process because they say he who plays the pipe dictates the tune. And therefore the people are the owners of the party and that is why they are funding these activities.
“People are contributing money, N1,000, N10,000, and so on to carry out rallies for themselves. People are donating their buildings and the people of Nigeria are gradually owning the Labour Party,” Mr Abure said in a statement.
The party chairman also expressed confidence in the sustainability of the crowd in support of their candidates when the campaign proper starts.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has fixed Wednesday, 28 September, for the official commencement of political campaigns for all political parties.
