People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Vice Presidential candidate, Dr. Peter Obi, has slammed Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for once being arrested in Anambra State for allegedly coming there to rig election.
The former Governor of Anambra State said this while reacting to a statement credited to Governor El-Rufai who, in his twitter account, referred to Obi as, “a tribal bigot.”
El-Rufai had alleged that Obi stopped him from moving around Anambra State during the gubernatorial election in the State in 2010.
But Obi dismissed the allegation stating that he had no hand in El Rufai’s travail in 2010 adding that perhaps he may had been stopped by security operatives because his motive for coming to Anambra on election day was unclear.
Obi, who reacted during a Youth Programme at Nnewi said, “What His Excellency, Gov. Nasir Ahmad El Rufai said about me has been brought to my attention. I believe that as we grow older and are saddled with more responsibilities, we are expected to become circumspect in our thinking and avoid recklessness in our speeches and utterances.
“How does the circumstance he referred to relate to bigotry to warrant such a label? All I do for people like El Rufai is to pray for them and encourage them to concentrate on doing those things that will better the lots of Nigerians rather than engage in hate speeches that will divide and destroy the country”.
Concerning the claim that he was arrested on the Election Day in Anambra, Obi said: “I am aware that during the said election he referred to, security agents merely restricted his movement because he has no business being in Anambra as I would not have any being in Kaduna on an election day.
“The statement came unprovoked, suggesting that it was what he sat down to think of rather than thinking about how to solve the many problems plaguing the country.”
