Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, asserted that the last general election demonstrated that Yorubas do not harbor animosity towards Igbos.
Speaking at the event where he received the 2024 Courageous Citizen Award from the Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy (NACJD) in Abuja on Saturday, Obi emphasized that the election transcended ethnic and religious lines.
Obi highlighted that the 2023 general election was not driven by a Christian or Igbo agenda but showcased a united Nigerian front.
He remarked that the election dispelled the myth of Yoruba-Igbo hatred, showing Nigerians’ desire for change and unity.
“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,” Obi stated. He expressed his satisfaction seeing notable figures such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Pa Ayo Adebanjo come together for a common cause.
Obi sought to correct the misconception of Yoruba hostility towards Igbos, acknowledging the sacrifices many made for a new Nigeria.
“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 added.
In the 2023 presidential election, Obi finished third, trailing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the winner, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Despite this, Obi garnered substantial support, particularly from Nigerian youths, who embraced his vision and voted for him in large numbers.
His supporters, known as “Obidients,” represented a diverse cross-section of Nigeria.