The immediate-past Senate Minority Leader and the Senator representing Abia South, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has explained why it will be difficult to tell people not to vote for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, in the 2023 election.
Abaribe said that the antecedents and swelling followership of Obi had made his candidature the choice of many Nigerians.
He added that the emergence of Obi had re-awakened the interest of many Nigerians in the political process and brought huge revolution in the country’s electoral system.
He stated this on Thursday night while speaking at the inaugural Ikengaonline town-hall virtual meeting.
Abaribe noted that Obi was frustrated out of the PDP, just like himself but noted with delight that progressive Nigerians who want a better country are now rallying support for him.
Recall that Abaribe who recently dumped Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and defected to the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, is the APGA candidate for the Abia South senatorial contest in 2023,
The federal lawmaker explained that a lot of youths and Nigerians from the different geo-political zones who had lost interest in the political system had suddenly developed interest in the 2023 elections.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that Obi has galvanized interests of people not just in Igbo land but across other ge-opolitical zones. He has revolutionarised the system. People are now saying let’s now go and vote.
“People who had lost interest before are now showing interest in voting.
“Though I’m in a different party, the truth is that it will be difficult for me to say: Don’t vote for Obi. In fact, some parties have already adopted him. They tell people: For President, vote for Obi, and then for other positions vote our party.”
He said that the political cabal in the country never envisaged the eruption of Obi phenomenon, but added that the movement is massive and exponential.
“People are fed up with the old system and they want a breath of fresh air.
They have seen Obi as somebody that will bring the fresh air and that is why they are rallying behind him.
“If he wins it will bring a paradigm shift to the system.”
Abaribe also noted that the introduction of new technology by the electoral umpire, had also helped to boost people’s confidence in the electoral system.
“People at a time lost interest but the INEC introduction of new technology has rekindled people’s hope and confidence that their votes will count.”