Peter Obi explains visit to churches, mosques
Peter Obi, an opposition politician in Nigeria, has denied that he was playing a religious card with his visits to churches and mosques across the country.
In the build up to the 2023 election, where Obi was the presidential candidate of the opposition Labour Party, the candidate had campaigned in churches. His actions elicited condemnation from his opponents and many Nigerians who felt the same way, too. In his what appeared to be his way of correcting the notion, Obi, during the Muslim Ramadan, equally visited some mosques in the northern region, donating food items and providing borehole water to various communities.
In a statement by his campaign office on Thursday, Obi’s aide Tanko Yunusa explained that the visits “churches and mosques is purely prompted by his (Obi) urge to help the less privileged and has nothing to do with political campaigns.”
“In these places, Obi had given messages of hope to lift the spirit of the downtrodden. He hastily and never talked about politics, abused anybody, or indulged in name-calling,” the statement said.
It added: “For instance, during the Ramadan period, Obi visited some praying centres in the North and South breaking fast with Muslim faithful, donating some items to help ameliorate their sufferings and further providing basic amenities such as potable water in some communities.”
Peter Obi, had defected from his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, where he ran as running mate to the serial presidential contestant Abubakar Atiku in 2011. He was once also a leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
