The Labour Party has reacted to the verbal attack on Peter Obi, its Presidential candidate, by Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State.
Soludo drew the hornet’s nest when he declared that Obi knew he would not win the election but was merely playing drama, which has drawn condemnations and angry reactions.
In a statement signed by Chief Innocent Sunday Okeke (Duru Agumba), National Vice Chairman, South East, THE Labour Party said Soludo had allowed hatred and selfishness becloud his sense of reasoning.
Okeke said that the Anambra Governor, who was hitherto highly respected, has now diminished himself owing to the tirade against Obi.
“Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo is highly respected and adored by Ndi Igbo as one of the shining lights and great academia from the highly rich culture of the Igbo great kingdom.
“He achieved just like many Igbo great men of today coming from the background of nothing to becoming a human dynamo.
“He was neither born with a silver spoon nor did he descend from blue blood, but he broke the jinx of poverty. From his rustic village of Isuofia in Aguata LGA of Anambra state, he rose and flew across the world to live his dreams.
“With these, Ndi Igbo and the whole of Nigeria see him as one of the great Igbo leaders with dignity and respect.
“But just like the story of the crumbling packs, Professor Soludo has started somersaulting from his pinnacle of dignity and respect, falling short of the expectations of the people who looked up to him to be a shining example of the new Igbo leader.
“Soludo, an astute professor of high repute, allowed his narrow-minded nature to betray him,” he stated.
Okeke added that “hate is a wicked state of mind that when possessed can becloud one’s normal sense of reasoning. And this is exactly what played out in Prof. Soludo’s unreasonable outburst on Peter Obi’s Anambra government investment in 2014.
“Soludo through his hate for Peter Obi was quick to forget that the investment and the fiscal savings came together. The incontrovertible fact remains that Obi saved for the future of his state (Anambra) N75b naira, $50m in each of the three existing commercial banks of today, and 3.5b in the International Brewery.
“He handed over this investment to a new manager (governor), who has never denied knowledge of the investments. Whether the manager (governor) took good care of the investment is another day’s discussion. And the former handed over to Soludo, now Soludo casting aspersions on Mr. Obi after 9 years he left office with verifiable savings and investment is uncalled for and condemnable by the entire Igbo race and Nigeria at large.
“The international brewery as we know it today employing 10,000 Anambrarians is not a bad investment and the depreciation of stocks is a Nigerian issue that have affected every company’s stock
“Soludo should have employed the wisdom of silence even if he so much hated Mr. Obi, but for the sake of the Nigerian project stand with the mass of the people.”
He advised the Governor to watch it going forward and avoid creating serious embarrassment for himself and governance, considering that he also needs the support of the people to achieve.