TheNational Youth Leader of Labour Party (LP), Kennedy Ahanotu has advised those within the corridors of power at the highest level who were toying with the idea of illegally arresting its Presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, to bury such thoughts and focus on governance.

National Youth Leader of the LP,  stated this in Abuja, Sunday.

Ahanotu spoke in Abuja, Sunday against the backdrop of calls by a Presidential Media Aide, Bayo Onanuga, for Mr. Obi’s arrest on trumped up charges of being the brain behind calls for a national protest against bad governance.

Ahanotu said, “We wish to dissociate our hero of democracy Mr Peter Obi, from any form of allegation from Bayo Onanuga’s wonderful government and therefore state categorically clear that any attempt to unlawfully and illegally arrest Mr Peter Obi will truly and sincerely be an affront on Nigerian citizens who believes that a better Nigeria is Possible.”

The youth leader described allegations contained in Mr. Onanuga’s media release against Mr. Obi as unfounded.

He said, “It is important to state categorically clear that Mr Peter Obi is the most peaceful Nigerian politician alive today who, despite the manipulation of his clear electoral victory in the 2023 presidential election had asked his supporters who are mostly the youths of my generation not to engage in any form of protest or agitation.

“It must be noted that it could have only taken a statement from Peter Obi in that instance for Nigerians to flood that collation centre in Abuja to occupy.

“It must be recalled that it was in this same country that a former president made an inciting statement of making the country ungovernable if he was not elected; eventually he was not elected and indeed people were massacred and yet that person was never arrested in 2011.

“It was also in these country that the current president incited his supporters in the last election to grab his political victory by all means, including fighting for it as power is not served in alarcarte; of course without recourse we saw the compliance in Lagos state and many other states where APC were thoroughly defeated by the Labour Party.”

Ahanotu recalled that it was the current president who spearheaded a protest against the former President GoodLuck Jonathan.

Noting that most of those at the helm of affairs in this government today played active roles in the oil subsidy protest in 2012.
He wondered why they have suddenly become afraid of protests.

Ahanotu said, “In fact, the current president, whom Onanuga is working for, is one of the grand father’s of protest in Nigeria starting from NADECO times.

“Given the stated background, it is clear that Mr Peter Obi is not and has not in any form or colour been found guilty of inciting the Nigerian people to engage in any form of protest starting from the build up to 2023 election till date.

“It must also be noted clearly that Peter Obi is a lawful citizen of Nigeria going about doing good and making impactful contributions towards national development.

“In recent times, he has provided support and basic amenities to many communities across the country as private citizens, unlike many politicians who disappears after an election.

“I am aware that the name Mr Peter Obi is a torn in the flesh of status-quo politicians who has refused to acknowledge a paradigm shift in the way things are done everywhere around the world where the masses are currently making political statements and proving that power belongs to the people.

“In the UK, people have shown their power. In Kenya, the citizens have made strong statements that are currently reshaping policies.

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“Those who follow international politics will agree that there is a current revolutionary wave of demand for good governance across Africa and the world at large.

“ At some point, the people of Burkina Faso celebrated a military takeover because of bad governance.”

Speaking about the current state of affairs, the LP Youth Leader said, “There is no citizen of Nigeria that will proudly say we have indeed progressed from where our past heroes left us.

“Our fathers enjoyed scholarships and today leaders are proudly giving us student loans; they enjoyed good infrastructures, but they have left us with no road, no electricity, no water, no national rail system, and pathetically no security for citizens. There are many things to say.

“We were known for market driven agricultural production, but today, farmlands have become grave yards for money.

“Our heroes past left us with quality education for both the poor and the rich. Today, what we have is unhealthy competition in private schools.

“School sports and grass-root talent hunt are history. Students in Nigeria do not even ask for scholarships but stable academic calendar to be able to use four years for a 4 years programme.

“Today, Nigerian workers had to debate, and panels have to be set up to discuss their welfare, unbelievable.

“Today, when you win an election, the government works for you, and those that lost are obviously intimidated. Is this truly the government of the people by the people and for the people?

“Despite all these aristocratic tendencies, the government does not want the people to react? It’s very funny.

“Do citizens need Mr. Peter Obi to say how hungry they are? Do people need Mr. Peter Obi to see the practical consequential inefficiency of the current government.

“Was it Peter Obi that told Seun of Channels to speak to the president during one of the programmes?

“Just recently, was it Peter Obi that incited Sen Ali Ndume to say that the APC government is failing? We must call a pot a pot and a kettle a kettle.

“We therefore ask the Nigerian security agencies whose welfare is equally laughable compared to their counterpart around the world to desist from being used as a tool to cage citizens from expressing their political views.

“Our hero of democracy must not be arrested on baseless Bayo Onanuga’s government blame game.

“Mr Peter Obi only wanted to transform Nigeria from Consumption to Production, and I am sure if the current government diligently consulted him, he shall avail them with the practical strategies that works. That is governance. Bayo and his cohorts should stop the blame game.

“Mr Peter Obi had always repeated that he is not desperate to be Nigerian President but desperate to see Nigeria work for her citizens like other countries of the world.”