The exchange of statements between Senator Chimaroke Nnamani and Peter Obi is an interesting development in Nigerian politics. The former Governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, lost his reelection bid in Enugu East Senatorial district to Labour Party candidate, Sir Kelvin Chukwu, and he attributed his loss to the political tide in the South East.
However, in his reaction, Senator Nnamani accused Peter Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, of setting the Igbo political trajectory 24 years back. He claimed that Obi’s style of politics is based on ethnicity and religious bigotry, and he was responsible for his defeat in the senatorial election.
In response, Peter Obi denied the allegations and challenged Senator Nnamani to show where he campaigned based on ethnicity. Obi stated that he had always championed issues-based campaigns and had consistently called for voters to consider candidates based on character, capacity, and compassion. He also emphasized that he had never engaged in any form of ethnic or religious bigotry in his public appearances.
PETER OBI’s OPEN LETTER TO CHIMAROKE NNAMANI
“Throughout these electioneering campaigns, you have consistently cast aspersions on my person, despite my always being respectful to you as an elder brother, and never publicly or privately commenting negatively about you.
“I am really surprised that you as my dear elder brother would go out of the way in the exercise of his fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in our law to go into saying what he knows is not true.
“I find it very shocking that you had to label me as an ethnic and religious bigot and as one who indulges in a campaign of hatred.
“In this instance, I like to state unequivocally that I am the direct opposite of what you said in your statement and what my campaigns have been.
“I want to believe that my dear elder brother must have mistaken me for someone else because, in this campaign, I have consistently championed issues-based campaigns.
