LP, Campaign Spokesperson Differ On Obi’s Manifesto

The spokesperson for the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, on Saturday, called on Nigerians to dismiss the report that the Labour Party’s flagbearer, Peter Obi, had unveiled his policy document as being reported in a section of the media.

The report said that the LP candidate had “finally released his long-awaited 62-page campaign manifesto”, which contained his proposed plans for Nigeria if elected as president.

Less than three hours after it went viral, the campaign team of the former Anambra State governor denied the report.

But the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abayomi Arabambi, told our correspondent in a separate interview that the viral document themed ‘Our Pact with Nigerians: Creating a New Nigeria’ being shared was the original document.

The development is coming barely 48 hours after the Director General of the campaign council, Doyin Okupe, and 10 other members of the Labour Party were sacked over alleged “non-financial membership status, political rascality and misappropriation of funds.”

Reacting to the news of Obi’s manifesto, the spokesman of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, told our correspondent that there was no iota of truth in the report.

Tanko disclosed that unless the candidate mandated the campaign team, Obi remained the only person to officially unveil his policy document.

He said, “A lot of people are eager to see the document. But I can tell you authoritatively that Peter Obi has not publicly unveiled the document, aside the one presented at the Lagos Business School. It was a summary of the main document which he released himself. Until when Obi unveils it, please disregard any report you see. He is the candidate.

“Let me say that Obi is the first candidate to start making public the plans he has for fhe Nigerian people. Other candidates just unveiled a document which they didn’t even stick to.

“Obi was the first person to have an agenda of how he plans to move Nigeria from consumption to producing economy, which he keeps using as a mantra.

“We already have the document but we are yet to unveil it publicly. It is not done by proxy. In fact, I have a copy of the document in your hand. But I cannot release it because he is the only one that has the power to publish it. He is the candidate. People should be patient until he makes the pronouncement. It is only then they can analyse as they want. It is obvious people are too eager for it.”

But Arabambi disagreed with the report of the campaign spokesperson.

The embattled LP image maker, who was recently in the news over the role he played in the ouster of Okupe and 10 members from the party, disclosed that Obi’s manifesto was sent via a platform of the National Working Committee by the National Secretary, Umar Farouk, to be shared.

He said, “The document is correct. It was shared on the NWC platform by the national secretary. I am sure Tanko was probably unaware because he is not a member of the group. “