The Labour Party (LP)presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi has stated that his administration, if voted into power, would support any initiative that would improve the economy of the country, adding that he supports oil exploration in the North East.
He particularly denied what he described as “fake news,” an insinuation credited to him in a section of the media that he was opposed to the initiative to commence crude oil exploration in Bauchi and Gombe States.
In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP last night by the Head of Media Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation, Diran Onifade, the Labour Party presidential hopeful stated that except the statement he made at the venue of his campaign rally in Ibadan during his recent outing to the city which was widely reported by the media he did not grant any journalist interview on the sidelines.
He described the report that Obi was opposed to the oil exploration in the states as a deliberate mischief by the LP presidential opponents to demarket him in the North East and North West regions of the country ahead of the presidential poll, but expressed great optimism that the plot would fail.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to the false information mischievously attributed to the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party Mr Peter Obi portraying him as being opposed to the commencement of crude oil exploration in Bauchi and Gombe States.
“The fake news deliberately targeted at the North East and North West regions of the country claimed that Mr. Obi made the statement in an interview in Ibadan, Oyo State where he addressed a rally on Wednesday, 23 November, 2022.
“We hereby State categorically that apart from his campaign speech which has been widely reported Mr Obi did not speak with any journalist while in Ibadan.
“He has also not had the cause to make any reference to the oil found in the North East at any time.
“Peter Obi is supportive of any endeavour aimed at improving the economic fortunes of Nigeria.
stated time and again that his plan for Nigeria’s economic turnaround rests substantially on the vast land of the North.
