By Paul Osuyi (Asaba), Okey Sampson (Umuahia), Joseph Obukata (Warri), Ighomuaye Lucky (Benin), Noah Ebije (Kaduna)
For several hours yesterday, socio-economic activities in Asaba, Delta State were brought to a halt as a result of the road walk organised by enthusiastic supporters of the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Datti-Ahmed.
Commercial tricycle operators had hectic time during the period of the road walk which took off from InterBau Flyover to Ogbogonogo and then back to the flyover.
It was the first in Asaba by the ‘Obidient’ Movement, which comprises various support groups for Obi/Datti presidential ticket.
With no particular leader among the enthusiastic crowd, they sang and danced to music from various DJs, winning more people into the fold on the way.
They expressed determination to vote for Labour Party in next year’s presidential election, noting that Nigerians were now tired of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to some of the supporters who spoke aloud, the Obi/Datti ticket is the solution to the challenges of insecurity, poor economy, incessant industrial action and bad leadership.
Chairman of Labour Party in Delta State, Tony Ezeagwu, who spoke with Sunday Sun on phone, said the rally was a child’s play compared to what is being expected on Monday.
Ezeagwu said on Monday, Asaba would witness total shut down in what he said would be ‘Mother of all Rallies’ to be organised by the same support groups.
The party chairman stated that Nigerians and Nigeria were now ready for genuine change, urging all not to lose hope in the country.
Similarly, Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State was also literarily locked down as a result of the one million-man march embarked upon by supporters of Peter Obi.
Supporters of Obi and members of a pro-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu group, OVI Organisation, had as early as 7am gathered at different locations on the outskirts of the city, from where they marched for over 9 kilometres before they converged on the city centre later in the day.
While some converged on the Osisioma Junction, others gathered at Port Harcourt Road and Opobo Junction from where they moved round the streets of the city, before meeting on Asa Road.
The crowd marched through Aba-Owerri Road to Asa and Azikiwe roads, before heading towards the Ogbor Hill axis of the city.
People who lined both sides of the streets, cheered as the crowd who were singing solidarity songs for Peter Obi, passed by.
Obi’s supporters, who took part in the march cut across party lines as people from different political parties, businessmen and youths were involved in the march. Members of OVI also joined the rally in support of Obi.
Chisom Amalahu, Coordinator of OVI Organisation said with the way things were going currently, it was of necessity and political expedience that such decisions to support Peter Obi should be taken despite the party differences.
In Warri, Delta State, the chant, “We’re ‘Obi-dient, we don’t take shi shi, we don’t give shi shi” rent the air as Obi supporters marched through Warri, Delta State yesterday.
Thousands of supporters marched through the city, mostly wearing the green-white-green national colour, from the DSC Roundabout to the Warri Stadium, where they addressed the crowd and discussed Obi’s aspirations for the presidency.
While insisting that a new Nigeria is possible with strong leadership that will take office in 2023 with Peter Obi as President, the supporters marched through Effurun Roundabout singing solidarity songs and intermittently chanting, “We don’t take shi shi, we don’t give shi shi.”
The supporters marched under the banner of the Delta State Alliance for Peter Obi Movement and carried various placards with messages like, “We need Nigeria refining her own crude oil and producing her own products.”
In Edo State too, thousands of residents staged a two million-man march in solidarity for Obi and Senator Datti Yusuf.
The residents, drawn from various quarters of Benin City, took over the Ring Road, in a well-coordinated manner.
The rally for Obi stole the day and made the Independence Day celebration pale in significance; the marchers were all adorned with the paraphernalia of the LP and the T-shirts of its presidential candidates. The rally further led to gridlock in the city centre.
Addressing the mammoth crowd, former Attorney General of the state, Osagie Obayuwana, charged the people to go home and take the message to the nook and cranny of the state with a view to changing the narrative.
He said the country is rich and can afford to take care of its citizens, adding that just recently some individuals were refunding money in millions all in the name of rent allowances.
In the same manner, thousands of supporters of the Labour Party (LP) in Kaduna State, yesterday took to the major roads in solidarity health walk for candidate Peter Obi and Datti and the candidate of the party for Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, Hon. Ekene Abubukar Adams.
The Labour Party supporters who came out in their large numbers with branded T-Shirts, face caps, mufflers and other items chanted various solidarity songs in support of the Obi/Datti movement and Ekene Door-2-Door campaign groups.
The supporters said the country requires genuine change and that they are ready to carry the campaign to every nook and cranny until the old breed politicians were shown the way out in 2023, adding that it was no longer going to be business as usual.