Barely hours after former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in an open letter to Nigerians, endorsed the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the forthcoming Presidential election in the country, Dr Peter Obi, another elder statesman and Ijaw Nation leader, Chief Edwin Clark, in addition to Governor of Benue State, Mr. Samuel Ortom, has followed suit with approvals.
Former President Obasanjo had in his New Year Open Letter to Nigeria, released, Sunday January 1, 2023 backed the candidate of the LP, who he said ‘has the edge’ over other candidates in the 2023 Presidential poll.
While Chief Clark, leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, (PANDEF), and chieftain of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) in the country, announced his decision during a news briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Mr Ortom, a member of the renegade Integrity Group of five state governors of the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also known as the G-5, made public his endorsement for the umpteenth time, in a six-page letter released, same Tuesday.
Ortom, who has previously lauded the candidacy at several fora, has however, made open his decision in an open letter.
Obi is running for President on the platform of the LP, in an election slated for February, this year, and faces the candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and that of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
According to Clark, his endorsement of Obi is based on traits he believes are critical to leading the country, as he cited honesty, trust and transparency, all of which, he added, Obi displayed when he was governor of Anambra State.
Clark, however, called on Obi to tackle the issues of the injustices and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region if elected as President.
The Ijaw leader’s backing is the second high-profile endorsement to be received by Mr Obi in three days.
In his endorsement, Benue governor, in a six-page letter endorsing Obi, signed by his Media and Publicity, Terver Akase, Tuesday, said he ‘strongly recommends Peter Obi to Nigerians as the man who has the capacity to effectively tackle the economic, security and other challenges facing the country.’
According to the letter, Ortom said he is convinced that Obi ‘possesses the qualities of a leader who will be a true President of this country by guaranteeing justice, equity and fairness for all Nigerians.’
Ortom noted that the President that Nigeria needs at this “challenging time” in its history is one who understands the urgent need to unite the people and speedily initiate policies and actions to redirect the ship of the nation on the path of growth and development.
According to Ortom, ‘Peter Obi has all those qualities.’
Ortom is one of five aggrieved governors of the PDP known as the G5 or Integrity Group, seeking the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, as condition to recognise the presidential candidate, Atiku. Others are Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).