Elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, has endorsed Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi for the 2023 general elections.
Chief Clark, who was a Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, announced his position at a news briefing at his residence in Asokoro, Abuja on Tuesday, where he said that with Peter Obi as President, Nigeria will be united.
The elder statesman based his endorsement of Mr Obi, who is the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party on traits he believes are critical to leading the country.
According to Clark, one who must be the next President of the country must be educated and experienced, just as he said that the South East should be allowed to produce the next President because the zone has resourceful and educated people to govern the country well.
“I have since been fully briefed on the successful outcome of the interaction held at that occasion. Amongst other things, I have taken note of the following observations which came out of the meeting: That PANDEF presented the expectations and demands of the peoples of the Niger Delta, comprising infrastructural development, devolution of power, resource control, effective and inclusive participation in the oil and gas sector, amongst other things, to the Presidential Candidate.
“That the vision statement shared by His Excellency Peter Obi at the occasion, as it relates to making Nigeria more productive, using the rich resource endowment in every part of the country; curbing waste and fighting corruption; and creating jobs for our teeming youths through innovative initiatives is very commendable.
“That his restated commitment to restructuring and devolution of power, will promote harmony, peaceful coexistence amongst the states and constituent parts of the country.
“That his vision for more equity and justice as it pertains to the South-South region, which in the past sixty years has produced much of the revenue for the national economy, but has been neglected with little impact in terms of infrastructure and social development, is convincing and commendable.
“Peter Obi’s commitment to environmental justice to the clean up of the Niger Delta polluted communities is most welcomed, given that even the ongoing Ogoni clean-up has been rather slow.
“His commitment to inclusion of qualified persons from the Niger Delta in the national governance process in the future government if elected into power is very reassuring,” Clark said.
Explaining further, he cited honesty, trust and transparency, all of which he said Mr. Obi displayed when he was governor of Anambra State.
Chief Clark further called on Mr Obi to tackle the issues of the injustices and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region if elected as President.
The Ijaw leader’s backing is the second high-profile endorsement to be received by Mr Obi in three days after former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, endorsed Mr Obi for President on Sunday.
In a New Year message that he signed personally, the former President said Mr Obi had an edge over all the candidates in the race.
According to Obasanjo, “none of the contestants is a saint but when one compares their character, antecedent, their understanding, knowledge, discipline, and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great efforts required to stay focused on the job, particularly looking at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge.”
