Former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani said the politics of Labour party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi portends danger to Nigeria as a country.
“Peter Giringory Obi’s political forte portends danger to Nigeria. Obi has deflowered the virgin innocence of political patriotism and nationalism in Nigeria,” Nnamani tweeted on Friday.
Nnamani accused Obi of deploying religion and tribalism as a brand of politics, a claim Obi has previously dispelled.
“The religious politics he mastered in Anambra, he spread across Nigeria’s faith landscape,” Nnamani said.
“He served a poisoned chalice of tribalism to Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities. The Roman Catholic Holy Family symbol was now ecumenically explained to my people as Joseph, Mary and Jesus.
“Thus replacing the Labor Party logo of Father, Mother and Child. Dual indoctrination of religion and tribalism. Nigerians voting without knowing the candidates nor caring!
“Priests and other clergy serving as partisan agents and ferrying voters to polling centers. Mr. Obi carefully selected Igbo and minority areas for the campaign.”
Meanwhile, Obi recently asked Nnamani to stop “senseless and unsubstantiated” bigotry allegations to dent his image at the initial stage of their disagreement.
Nnamani, who lost his Senate bid to the LP’s candidate, Kelvin Chukwu, on March 18, accused Obi of playing wicked and dangerous politics.
“Peter Obi has set the Igbo political trajectory 24 years back. He has become a twin blight and scourge on the land,” Nnamani alleged.
“His devious opium served to Christians within sections of Nigeria and to Igbo domiciled in different sections of Nigeria is wicked and dangerous.”
Obi, in a letter to the former governor of Enugu State a few days later, said he finds it shocking that Nnamani had to label him as a religious bigot and one who indulges in a campaign of hatred.
He stated that throughout his campaign across the country, he was never involved in ethnic or religious politics.
Obi, a former Anambra governor, said he believes that Nnamani must have mistaken him for someone else because, and insisted that he ran an issue-based campaign.
“I will also like to challenge anybody including, my dear elder brother, to show anywhere in my public appearance where I in any way portrayed ethnic or religious bigotry or where I called names, even when I came to campaign in Enugu State,” Obi said.
Obi said the “senseless and unsubstantiated” allegations by Nnamani were aimed at denting his image. He urged Nnamani to advise him on all other leadership qualities that he lacks instead of attacking his person.