By Chinelo Obogo

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has insisted that he is going into the 2023 election to win and not to support anyone.

Responding to questions on if he would support the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubkar, if there is an run off, Obi said in an interview on Channels on Monday, that he entered the race to win.

“No one goes into a match thinking of what would happen. I am going into this contest to win and to be the next President of Nigeria, so, thinking about what would happen is not what I am considering. I have all it takes to win and I am going into the race to emerge winner

“I am not in the race to worry about if others are thinking whether I would win or not, my concentration is to solve the problems of Nigeria and how to pull the country out of poverty and create jobs for our youths,” he said.

Responding to Atiku’s allegation that he did not inform him before leaving the PDP and joining the LP, Obi admitted that he did not inform the former vice president and important members of his immediate family of his decision because he did not want to be talked out of it. He described Atiku as his elder brother and said he sent a message to him two days later, informing him of his reason for leaving and declaring to contest for the presidency.

“When I left the PDP, I didn’t tell Atiku and other respected people in my life, including my family because there is a time in your life that you take a decision you consider appropriate for your own future and you would not want people to talk you out of it and this is what I did in the best interest of my future and the interest of Nigeria. When I left the PDP, I said that I would rather do the right thing and fail than do the wrong thing and succeed and that is what I did. I did it in consideration that it does not in any way inconvenience or affect any other person except me.

“After one or two days after taking that decision, I elucidated it in a written message to him because of the circumstances I found myself and what was happening to me, I did what was appropriate to do and I know that he respected my decision and he remains my very respected elder brother,” Obi said.

Reacting to Atiku’s statement that it would be a miracle for him to win, Obi said: “Miracles are at the root of our faith. For me, since I started this political journey, my achievements have been miraculous. I contested for governor in a party that was less than one year old and I won the election. Everyone said it was impossible to win and that it has never happened before and after three years, the court declared me the winner.

“I was sworn in but impeached after six months. I went to court and again, I became the first governor to come back from impeachment. I was the first governor to win through the courts and the first governor to come back from impeachment. In 2007, INEC conducted election and Andy Uba won and was sworn in as governor and I went to court again. Everyone said I won’t succeed and again, the Supreme Court declared me the winner and this is why we now have staggered election in Nigeria today.”