The national president of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka has stressed that the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has triggered voter registration revolution.
He submitted that the interest of most Nigerians in the nation’s politics has suddenly been rekindled by the declaration of Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State for president and his subsequent emergence as the presidential candidate of Labour Party.
Igboayaka made the assertion on Monday when he addressed newsmen in Owerri, the lmo State capital.
According to him, this is evident in the influx of persons into INEC offices in quest for the permanent voter’s card, PVC, in readiness for the forthcoming 2023 general election, in spite of over 20-years of total abstinence from electoral participation.
“It is no longer news that Mr. Obi has gained the massive support of citizens across the various regions of the country, hence the party currently poses a serious threat to all other opposition parties including the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC,” he said.
He said Mr Peter Obi’s entrance into the Labour Party as the presidential candidate had caused massive voter registration in the country and implored the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise a national honour for Mr Peter Obi.
Igboayaka noted that INEC had, over the years, spent billions on voters’ education and sensitisation yet with little or no positive response from the masses.
He said: “But Mr. Peter Obi’s candidature in Labour Party that gave birth to ‘OBIdient movement’ has recorded large turnout of voters’ registration within a short period.
“It’s truism that 2022 voters registration has recorded much voters registration than 2014, 2010, 2006 and 2002 since the history of new democratic dispensation.
“Mr. Peter Obi’s entrance in 2023 presidential race has achieved in three months what INEC couldn’t achieve in 24 years, therefore we call on INEC to prepare a national honor to Mr. Peter Obi for making voters education very easy and acceptable. The 2023 presidential election is not about political party, but the political environment and the theory of situational politics has favoured Labour Party as a platform to birth a new Nigeria.”
He used the opportunity to advise the likes of Jim Nwobodo, Hope Uzodimma, Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and David Umahi to guide their public speeches because 2023 presidential is beyond political permutations.
Igboayaka explained that the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) having denied the Southeast the deserved right to produce their presidential candidates should not expect much from the region.
The council, therefore, vowed to ensure that the two main parties would not enjoy the benefits of support from Southeasterners in the general election.
