Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has asserted that the 2023 general elections dispelled the notion that Yorubas harbor animosity towards Igbos.
Obi made this observation while accepting the 2024 Courageous Citizen Award from the Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy (NACJD) in Abuja at the weekend.
The former governor of Anambra State emphasized that the 2023 election was not driven by religious or ethnic agendas but rather by a collective Nigerian aspiration for change.
He highlighted the unprecedented unity displayed by Nigerians across tribal and religious lines during the elections, noting that this collective stance corrected the misconception that Yorubas harbor hostility towards Igbos.
Obi underscored the significance of the nationwide solidarity witnessed during the election, emphasizing that it marked a decisive rejection of the status quo.
“The 2023 election wasn’t a Christian or Igbo project. It was a Nigerian project,” Obi remarked, praising the collaboration among Nigerian legends and elder statesmen, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Pa Ayo Adebanjo, as a testament to this unity.
Addressing the perceived rift between the Yoruba and Igbo communities, Obi stated, “I am saying this to correct the impression that the Yorubas hate Igbo people. A lot of people made certain sacrifices because we just wanted to say ‘Enough is enough’ in Nigeria.”
Obi’s remarks come in the aftermath of his third-place finish in the 2023 presidential election, where he trailed behind Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the eventual winner, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Despite his electoral outcome, Obi’s campaign garnered significant support from Nigerian youths who embraced his vision for a new Nigeria, reflecting a broader sentiment of yearning for change across the nation.