On a daily basis, the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has continued to worm his way into the hearts of many Nigerians. Last Wednesday, he said he had suspended his campaign tours to enable him help victims of floods across the states of the federation. Obi said the welfare of the flood victims and his concern for them are more compelling.
Addressing journalists after his visit to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State at his Abuja private residence where he had gone to discuss modalities on his planned visit to flood sites in Benue and other states, the former Anambra State governor said he expected other presidential candidates to suspend their campaigns to show concerns to the plight of victims of flooding. He added that some of the candidates who spent millions of naira on nomination forms, have the capacity to assist the flood victims.
Floods have hit parts of Nigeria in the last two months with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) saying that about 2.5 million persons were affected and over 603 persons killed by the flooding caused by torrential rainfall of late. Practically all the states affected by the floods have been calling on the federal government for help.
Houses and farmlands have been submerged in Taraba, Adamawa, Edo, Delta, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Ebonyi, Anambra, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Imo, Abia states, and the Federal Capital Territory.
While the people are suffering, there hasn’t been an appreciable assistance from the federal government. Even the presidential candidates of the political parties have not made any effort to give the people succour. It took Obi to initiate the move.
Little wonder the Benue State Governor, Ortom, said he would have worked for the victory of the LP presidential candidate if he were not a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He encouraged Nigerians to go into the 2023 general election with the mindset of electing the best presidential candidate among the top contenders. According to him, Nigeria currently runs on oxygen and would need a hands-on and detribalised leader to restore hope, development and progress.
