Labour party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said he would not abandon Nigeria if war breaks out in the country.
According to Obi, he would prefer to die in Nigeria than be a free man in another country.
He revealed this during a virtual interactive session with more than 1,000 members of his foremost support group, the Peter Obi Support Network.
Obi, who is aspiring to be Nigeria’s next President, pointed out that he has a focus on Nigeria despite having resided in the UK for over 10 years.
The Labour Party Presidential candidate noted that he does not need the citizenship or residence rights of any other country because Nigeria remains his interest.
In his words: “When I left the UK after residing there for over 10 years, I returned everything that belonged to them.
“I have a singular focus on Nigeria, and I do not think I need the citizenship or residence rights of any other country when I haven’t finished exploiting my nature-given rights and privileges as a Nigerian.
“If I am out of Nigeria today and there is a war in Nigeria, I will find a way to return to Nigeria because I will rather die in my country, Nigeria, than live free in another man’s country.”
Obi appealed to Nigerians in the diaspora to contribute to the country’s development.
The Nigerian businessman and politician served as Governor of Anambra from March to November 2006, February to May 2007, and from June 2007 to March 2014.
In May 2022, he became the Labour Party nominee for President of Nigeria in the 2023 presidential election.
Born in Onitsha in 1961, Obi graduated from the University of Nigeria in 1984.
Afterwards, he entered business and banking, eventually rising to hold several high-ranking executive positions at banks.
By the early 2000s, Obi was the chairman of Fidelity Bank before leaving the position to enter politics.
The aspiring president of Nigeria ran for governor in 2003, as a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
After three years of legal battles, Obi was declared winner in 2006 and assumed office in March 2006.
He was then impeached that November before the impeachment was overturned and he returned to office in February 2007.
TheNewsguru.com recalls that Obi was removed when a new election was held in April 2007 but the judiciary intervened again and ruled that he should be allowed to complete a full four-year term.
In 2010, he won re-election to a second term. Obi’s terms were marked by improvements in state finances, education, and healthcare.
In May 2022, Obi became the presidential candidate of the LP in the upcoming 2023 general elections, after defecting from the PDP.
