The Director General of the Campaign Organisation of the Labour Party, Doyin Okupe, has identified the immense popularity of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as the main reason why he cannot step down for his People’s Democratic Party counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, or any other person for that matter.
Okupe also dismissed the reports that Obi has struck a deal to support the candidacy of Atiku in the 2023 general elections.
The spokesperson of the APC presidential campaign, Festus Keyamo, had within the week, shared a link to an article alleging that Obi had agreed to clear the path for Atiku’s emergence as president.
But in a statement on Wednesday, Okupe, described the report as utter falsehood.
According to him, the Labour Party candidate was ‘far ahead’ of all the other presidential candidates in the race.
Okupe stressed that Obi, therefore cannot step down his aspiration for anyone.
He described the reports as cheap, self-serving and distracting propaganda and charged Obi’s supporters to stay focused on the mission to ‘take back’ Nigeria.
“I hereby categorically refute the false statement, making the rounds, that Peter Obi has made any deal with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the PDP, with respect to the 2023 Presidential elections
“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,” the statement read.
