The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi in the 2023 Presidential election said that the 2023 general elections have proved that the Yorubas do not hate the Igbos.
Obi who came third in the election made this statement while receiving the 2024 Courageous Citizen Award from the Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy (NACJD) in Abuja on Saturday.
He asserted that the 2023 general election saw Nigerians unite across tribe and religious lines, adding that the poll corrected the impression that Yorubas hate Igbos.
Obi noted that the massive turnaround was an indication that Nigerians desired a change from the status quo.
“It was a time that Nigerians united and spoke with one voice regardless of tribe, tongue or religion. The 2023 election wasn’t a Christian or Igbo project.
“It was a Nigerian project. I saw our legends and elder statesmen come together for the first time. I was glad to see people like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Pa Ayo Adebanjo and others stand their ground.
“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. Imagine those who had lost their lives for the cause of a new Nigeria,” he said
Recall that Obi came third in the 2023 presidential election after trailing his counterpart from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and the winner, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
But, prior to the election, a lot of Nigerian youths accepted Obi’s ideology and turned out en masse to vote for him.
