From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Thousands of Edo State residents on Saturday staged a two-million man march in solidarity with the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Senator Datti Yusuf.
The residents, drawn from various quarters of Benin City, took over the Ring Road in a well-coordinated manner.
The rally goers were adorned with t-shirts and other paraphernalia of the LP 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 the view of 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 the money in millions all in the name of rent allowances.
Obayuwana said those who were given the money were already having their houses, stating that with Obi, such corruption will stop and the money meant for the people will no longer go into the hands of a few individuals in the country.
Also speaking, David Salami, said the Nigerian youths have come out in their numbers to put an end to the strike in the country, adding that with Obi, there will be no strike in the nation’s universities.
“We are here for a two million man march for Obi and Datti, Labour Party presidential candidate and his Vice but to our greatest surprise, Edo people have proven that they don’t take last.
“You can see the mammoth crowd. We are well over four million. King Square is locked down. Members of support groups from different platforms are all here. Ikpoba Hill, Ugbowo, Ekenwan road axis, Upper Sokponba, Airport Road, they are all here.
“So, Edo is fully “Obi-dient”. Even the governor knows that Edo is fully Obi-dient. We have told them to go and get their PVCs and vote for Labour Party, Peter Obi who represents the youths, who we know will change the narrative of the Nigerian people, who will not put us on strike again. We have been on strike for the past six months without anybody addressing the issue. So, we are Obi-dient to labour Party”.
One of the residents, Osayande Miracle, who was locked up for several hours in the traffic, said he was to be at a wedding by 8 am as a groom’s man but he can’t find his way out of the traffic but sees it as his sacrifice he could pay for a better Nigeria.