CHIMAROKE NNAMANI RESPONDS TO PETER OBI WHEN HE SAYS OBI STOLE THE IGBO POLITICAL TRAJECTORY

Chimaroke Nnamani

Senator Chimaroke Nnamani and Peter Obi's exchange of words is an intriguing development in Nigerian politics. Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, the former Governor of Enugu State, lost his reelection campaign in the Enugu East Senatorial district to Labour Party candidate Sir Kelvin Chukwu, and he blamed his defeat on the political tide in the South East.

Senator Nnamani, in response, accused Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State, of establishing the Igbo political trajectory 24 years ago. He said that Obi's political style is built on ethnic and religious intolerance, and that he was to blame for his defeat in the Senate election.

Peter Obi, in reaction, refuted the claims and asked Senator Nnamani to show where he campaigned on ethnicity. Obi noted that he has always advocated for issue-based campaigns and has continuously urged voters to examine candidates based on their character, capacity, and compassion. He also stated that he had never displayed any type of ethnic or religious intolerance in public.

PETER OBI's OPEN LETTER TO CHIMAROKE NNAMANI

"Throughout these electioneering campaigns, you have consistently cast aspersions on my person, despite my always being respectful to you as an elder brother, and never publicly or privately commenting negatively about you.

"I am really surprised that you as my dear elder brother would go out of the way in the exercise of his fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in our law to go into saying what he knows is not true.

"I find it very shocking that you had to label me as an ethnic and religious bigot and as one who indulges in a campaign of hatred.

"In this instance, like to state unequivocally that I am the direct opposite of what you said in your statement and what my campaigns have been.

"I want to believe that my dear elder brother must have mistaken me for someone else because, in this campaign, I have consistently championed issues-based campaigns.