From John Adams, Minna

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi Peter Obi, shut down Minna, the capital city of Niger state, on Thursday as his campaign train for the general elections of 2023 passed through the historic city to enlist local support for his presidential aspirations.

As anticipated, his supporters in Minna and the surroundings took time off work to demonstrate support for the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, and his running mate Datti Ahmed, and other top party officials.

An enormous crowd had assembled at the well-known Minna polo field owned by the first son of the former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, Mohammed Babangida, as early as 7:00am to receive the presidential candidate, his running mate, and their wives.

The Labour Party Presidential Campaign train had visited the ancient town of Bida where the entourage paid homage to the Emir of Bida and Chairman of the Niger state Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji (Dr) Yahaya Abubakar and to receive his royal blessing.

While the Presidential candidate and his running mate were addressing the mammoth crowd at the polo ground, their wives met with various women groups at the Justice Legbo Kutigi International conference center where they assured the women that Obi/Datti Presidency will address the mirage of problem facing Nigerian women.

The Presidential candidate before addressing the enthusiastic crowd, took time out to commiserate with the Catholic community in the state over the brutal Murder of Reverend Father Isaac Achi, who had his life cut short by some unidentified gunmen in the early of Sunday in Kafin Koro, Paikoro local government area of the state.

He said that the brutal killing of late Achi was not only evil, but also an act of man’s inhumanity to man, and that people who take pleasure in taking life that they are unable to provide must answer to the God they worship.

However, while addressing the crowd who keep chanting his name and that of his running mate (Obi/Datti), the Presidential candidate, said it was unfortunate that Niger state, which was known for its peace, is now home to the highest number of internally displaced people (IDP), second only to Borno state, due to bandit activity.

He assured the populace that if elected president, there would not be any Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps spread across Nigeria because he would put an end to the country’s current state of insecurity brought about by bad governance at all levels under the APC.

Speaking about the vast land in Niger state, the biggest in Nigeria, Obi regretted that because of the APC administration’s insensitivity, terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements have driven the people away from their farms, assuring that his administration would ensure that the country fed itself because it had the capacity to do so.

“We will ensure that nobody will be a refugee in his country. There would be no IDP or IDP camps. Nobody will be killed in his country. We will employ all we can to ensure that this is brought to an end. We won’t take chances.

“We will fight insecurity and criminality, those terrorists are not more formidable than the government. When we get there we will ensure that they have no opportunity to operate. In this area, I can assure you that you will not find us wanting”.

Speaking further on food security in the country and his administration operation “Nigeria feed itself”, Obi said that being an agrarian state, the food revolution would start in Niger state and spread to other parts of the country, insisting that every parts of the country has what it take produce the people will consume.

“We will use Niger state as an example that Nigeria can feed itself. We assure you that all the facilities that are dead across the state would be brought back alive.”

Also in his remarks, the presidential running mate, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, cautioned the people not to be persuaded by empty rhetoric or empty promises, urging them to vote Peter Obi as the country’s next leader.
Before the rally, Peter Obi and his campaign Train made a stop over at the palace of the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Farouk Bahago, to pay his homage.