The presidential candidate Of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has responded to a rash of tweets by outgoing Senator of Enugu East Senatorial zone, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, who after losing his seat to a Labour Party candidate on Saturday accused him of ethnic and religious politics.
But Obi in a letter to the former Enugu state governor wondered if he knows who he was talking about as he is the direct opposite of all he accused him of.
The letter reads, “Throughout these electioneering campaigns, you have consistently cast aspersions on my person, despite my always being respectful to you as an elder brother, and never publicly or privately commenting negatively about you.
“I am really surprised that you, as my dear elder brother, would go out of the way in the exercise of his fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in our law to go into saying what he knows is not true.
“I find it very shocking that you had to label me as an ethnic and religious bigot and as one who indulges in a campaign of hatred. In this instance, I like to state unequivocally that I am the direct opposite of what you said in your statement and what my campaigns have been.
“I want to believe that my dear elder brother must have mistaken me for someone else because, in this campaign, I have consistently championed issues-based campaigns, and maintained so, even using illustrations and data to buttress my position, to the extent that I have been accused of using data wrongly and media houses had to create fact-check desks just to monitor and address issues I raised during campaigns.
“I have been on record to have insisted severally throughout the country that I should not be voted for based on any ethnic or religious link, but to be considered based on Character, Character, Capacity, and Compassion. I have always respectfully requested that my track records and integrity be verified.
“I will also like to challenge anybody including, my dear elder brother, to show anywhere in my public appearance where I, in any way, portrayed ethnic, or religious bigotry or where I called names, even when I came to campaign in Enugu State.
“I was also taken aback at your attributing the “Lagos is no man’s land” statement to Igbos because there is no evidence of that which I see as a case of giving a dog a bad name just to hang it.
“Maybe my brother would like to know that I got more votes from non-Igbos in Lagos, Abuja, and other parts of Nigeria, and even if Igbos voted for me, should it be the reason why they should be chased away from where they are living and making tangible contributions to development?. Britain will not send Indians packing because they voted for an Indian to become the Prime Minister.
“I also noticed the spirited efforts you put up to tag me a tribal bigot but such would be hard to prove empirically and I would like to advise my dear elder brother not to join in such senseless and unsubstantiated allegations just to dent one’s image.
“As I very much know that among the critical characteristics of every good leader are listening, and learning and my brother advised that I should return to school to learn some aspects of leadership I am lacking. Why should I go to school to pay huge fees when I can get it free of charge from my dear elder brother who knows it better? I respectfully appeal that I be invited by my senior brother to teach me accordingly.
“My warmest regards to the family and God bless.
Peter Obi.”
Below are Senator Nnamani’s tweets, which have reproduced on many social media platforms:
‘6 million votes! What next? A trophy for Mr Obi. He has to go to school to learn good manners on living with neighbours. Building confidence and trust. Not abuse,threat and divisive language. Christians against Muslims. Igbo against fellow Nigerians. #Chimaroke”
My mistake. I blew it. Allowed my disdain for the dysfunctional Nigerian elite to get to me. Could not stand their kerfuffle. Will pursue a different paradigm next. They are my folks, ignorant, poor, dirty. Live in face me I face you home. I love them. 50k votes. Huge #Chimaroke
Igbo leaders watch as vulnerable and ignorant Igbo youth bait other Nigerians. Hostile to their host communities. Doing business in Lagos and describing it as ” No man’s land”. Politically displacing the Gwari the owners of FCT and yet doing business in their land. #Chimaroke
Governors, LG Chairmen failed 100 percent. Ordinary water unavailable in cities. Unemployment, Pollutants and “Rubbish ” living house to house in competition with our people. Massive public neglect gave fertile ground for Peter Gringory Obi to plant his message of Hate. #Chimaroke
These Igbo leaders including “Asoebi” Governors quite unlike my ’99 class. They danced while Igbo Land burnt. They lacked the “Liver” to condemn “sit at home” nor condemn the killings. They cowered at Peter Gringory Obi message of hate, bile and incitement. They failed! #Chimaroke
The Oha Na Eze. Grown elders who kept quiet while the goats laboured tethered will live to regret their political miscalculations. As Governor, I knew they were essentially inert. Coming to Enugu at long weekends to catch fun with young girls in the guise of “Nkpuke” #Chimaroke
Peter “Gringory” Obi has set the Igbo political trajectory 24 years back. He has become a twin Blight and Scourge on the Land. His devious Opium served to Christians within sections of Nigeria and to Igbo domiciled in different sections of Nigeria is wicked and dangerous. #Chimaroke
As our people, the Igbo Ethnic Nationality set sail on yet another “roundabout” political journey. My mission is accomplished. A social responsibility to my generation and a sacrament to my conscience. A win/win in God’s time. #Chimaroke
In the Land of the Igbo, the people have spoken. They have spoken under the influence of an unholy concoction of the 2 most powerful social “opioids” Ethnic jingoism and Religious Extremism both powered by the trilogy of Priests, ” Igbo Patriots” and vulnerable Youths. #Chimaroke
I am befuddled that a people so blessed with the Trinity of Character could always fall easy prey to social climbers and scam artists. Whipping them into a trancelike orgy of Tribalism and rabid religiousity. A self destruct and stone deaf March to Political Armageddon. #Chimaroke
The Obedient “TAX” on the Igbo is a near 24 year drag on her political trajectory towards a true political reunification and testament with others in comity with other African Ethnic Nationalities of the Nigerian Federation. #Chimaroke #ebeano
As I await the ultimate judgment of the people on the renewal of our mandate to serve. I can’t help but reflect on the huge toll on the Igbo African Ethnic Nationality. Toll exerted by cyclical emergence of poorly educated and largely ignorant demagogues. #Chimaroke #ebeano.