The one million-man march for Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, that took place over the weekend in Abuja, has been derided by Dino Melaye, the spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Campaign Management Committee.
He claimed that the so-called Obi supporters were only hungry Nigerians being paid N1000–N2000, and who were gathered from all around Abuja and other parts of the country, to claim they were Obi-dients.
Melaye stated that Obi’s party, LP’s participation in the recently ended governorship race in Osun State did not make his party a rival, adding that the upcoming presidential election is only between the PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the other candidates.
Melaye spoke on Arise TV’s The Morning Show.
He said, “Just like if you go to court they’ll say Federal Government vs Dino Melaye and others and this particular case you have Atiku Abubakar and others including the APC, Labour Party, SDP, NNPP all of them are others in this regard.
“And I want to tell you that to assemble a crowd is just to bring out money. Mobilization is very very cheap in this country.
“People are hungry. If you go to Nyanya, Mararaba people were being loaded in buses from Lugbe and every part of the country to stand and say they’re supporting…let them to the election.
“I think Peter Obi was in Osun. He spoke in Osun, and we saw the result of the Labour Party in Osun – 2700 votes – while PDP was counting four hundred and something thousand votes…so it’s not about the commercial mobilisation of the people.
“Nigerians are definitely hungry. If you go to Mararaba today to say you need 5000 people with the blow of a whistle, they’ll assemble and collect their N1000 or N2000. It is not the match on the streets that will determine the votes.
“We’re talking of proper votes and Nigerians know that Atiku is speaking to the issues. We’re not on hype movements.”