From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Southern and Middle Belt elders have endorsed Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as candidate for the February 25 poll.
The endorsement came under the aegis of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) made up of leaders from the Middle- Belt, Ndi- Igbo (Ohanaeze, Afenifere, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF) and headed by Chief Edwin Clark.
The decision was taken at the end of the extraordinary meeting of the forum in Abuja.
In a communique read by former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, the forum urged Nigerians to join them in realising the dream of making Obi the next president of the country. The collation also vowed to resist attempts to derail the electoral process and to defend the ballot box.
The SIMBLF leaders promise to work assiduously in their various constituencies to ensure the Obi presidency is realised for the betterment of Nigeria.
The leaders said all members of the various groups support the aspiration of Obi- Datti presidency under the Labour Party.
Part of the cCommunique read: “That we give our unalloyed vote of thanks to our father and leader chief Edwin Clark for his boldness, his sagacity, his tenacity and his relentlessness in pursuing the aims and aspirations of this organization. That we warn all those who wants to change the hands of the clock of Nigeria by doing anything that will derail a peaceful transition to the next civilian government of this country, that we shall rise like one-man in defense of the ballot box and that Nigerians must go to vote.
“This we have resolved today and we enjoin other Nigerians who do not belong to our organisation to join us in realizing this for the betterment of Nigeria. Peter Obi is your son and he is the rock upon which Nigeria will stand.”
Others in attendance were Pa Ayo Adebanjo (Afenifere); Dr. Bittus Pogu, (President of the Middle Belt Forum) among other elders.