Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has responded to a comment by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in which the latter criticised the LP.
At the APC governorship rally in Osun on Tuesday, Tinubu had described the LP as “a mushroom party”.
“Think about your children and vote accordingly so you can see the future. Come out en masse. Don’t mind PDP and other mushroom parties — parties like Labour; they will labour till they die. God will not make you labourers,” he had said.
Speaking on Wednesday at a rally organised by the LP in Osun, Obi said such a comment by the APC presidential candidate comes from a place of hatred, but the LP will respond with love.
“I listened to our national chairman when he said that somebody said that they can labour till death. When they talk like that, when they show you hatred, Labour Party will show them love. There is dignity in labour,” he said.
Obi, who urged the residents of Osun to vote for Yusuf Lasun, the LP’s governorship candidate, said the party’s focus is on ensuring better welfare for citizens.
“Vote for Labour Party so that your children can have jobs. Vote for people that will work for you,” he said.
“We want to change Nigeria and the only way we can change Nigeria is to remove all these people who have put Nigeria where it is for the past 23 years. This is time for them to go.
“They are owing salaries, pensions; and those that are working hard are not been paid. But this will stop once you vote Labour Party on Saturday.
“Vote for Labour Party; vote for the future of your children. Vote for the candidate that will be committed to better Osun state.
“We are going to introduce you to a governor who will be committed to a better Osun state, and that is what we want.”
Also speaking, Julius Abure, the national chairman of the party, said the people should not sell their votes.
“I want to beg you, no matter the temptation of the money they might want to give you, do not sell your future,” he said.
“The reason we had been in trouble over the years is because when they give us part of the money they stole from us, we will still vote for them.
“If you can resist the temptation of not collecting the money, do not take it, but if you cannot resist the temptation, take the money and vote against them.”