‘Day of Obidient Service’ had many implications – Dr Ezeh

A leader of the Obidient Movement in South East, Dr Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, has said that the July 19 Day of Obidient Service, which was commemorative of the 64th anniversary of the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, had far reaching connotations. He said that Nigerians used the opportunity to showcase their […]

A leader of the Obidient Movement in South East, Dr Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, has said that the July 19 Day of Obidient Service, which was commemorative of the 64th anniversary of the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, had far reaching connotations.

He said that Nigerians used the opportunity to showcase their desire for a new Nigeria, where love of neighbour should define every action, adding that it was also a great display of revulsion to primitive accumulation that has rubbished public service.

Ezeh, who spoke to the media in Abuja, yesterday, commended Nigerians, particularly women and youths who deployed the time and resources to creatively amplify the philosophy of the Obidient Movement as enunciated by the leader, Mr Peter Obi.

He stated: “Mr Peter Obi has always emphasised the need for patriotism to be driven by service above self. We have seen Obi distribute his private wealth to the downtrodden and for social interventions instead of using the millions to ambush electoral opportunities.

“The foundation of corruption remains the disregard for the poor and the Obidient Movement has bought into that narrative that public service should be elevated above narrow political and pecuniary considerations.”

Ezeh, disclosed that another significance of the July 19 Obidient Day of Service was that it drove home the point of Mr Peter Obi’s organic support, noting that among all those jostling for the ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), only the former LP presidential flag bearer can command such generic mass following.

Likening Obi to the coming of All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015, Ezeh urged the coalescing opposition politicians in ADC to rally round Obi so that he would repeat the feat of late Muhammadu Buhari who defeated an incumbent that was believed to be performing below average.

“There is no other pro-poor presidential aspirant to rival Mr Peter Obi. In 2027, Obi ticks all the boxes, especially on the scores of capacity, competence, courage, compassion, credibility, fairness and equity.

“In that light, the July 19 Obidient Day of Service turned out as a show of ethical strength and social force.

When the former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai says that President Bola Tinubu is a goner in 2027, he knows where the numbers are.

“The Obidients have the votes, while the coalition provides the fighting men like El-Rufai, Chibuike Amaechi and Senator Waziri Tambuwal, etc that can police the votes. This supports the argument that Obi should be on the ballot and not the other way round,” he declared.

While remarking that the Obidient Day of Service has become an annual event, Ezeh who was a National Assembly candidate of Labour Party in 2023, said that the new consciousness among the populace makes it impossible for elections to be stolen again in the country.

He said: “In 2027, Nigerians will elect their leaders. We have seen what happened in Senegal and recently in Ghana. Courts do not decide who leads or represents the people. If there is any tie, a rerun should be conducted. Nobody will be going to Court to decide elections.

“We have seen the desperation on the other side. What the Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo said about Obi is a revelation. Plans to shrink the campaign stage are currently being worked out. Nigerians should be taking notice.

“If mad men took over the asylum, Nigerians should be prepared to get equally mad to retrieve what is truly theirs by right and fact. Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia, was the first to let the cat out of the bag. If anybody thinks that getting Obi out will guarantee the perpetuation of structure of criminality, a raw awakening awaits him.

“If anything happens to Mr Peter Obi, Nigerians will hold APC and it’s irresponsible leaders like Alia and Monday Okpebholo to account. The circle on the corrupted politicians will also close quickly.”

Ezeh regretted that two years after the 2023 general elections, President Tinubu, has not deemed fit to condemn the electoral violence that defined the ballot, stressing that it would be bad for the country to go the Kenyan way of the high way during or after elections.

He noted: “We remember all that happened in Lagos and Rivers States during the 2023 election. Has the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, made any allusion or reference to it or even said anything discouraging it or even about restoring the confidence of voters.

“Okpebholo spoke out of their play book. We all know that Peter Obi is the target. Nigerians should arise and begin to take issues regarding the 2027 elections seriously. It is a fight to steady the ship and sail towards a new Nigeria of our collective dreams and as such we must over-prepared for any surprises.”