Yunusa Tanko, the chief spokesman for the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation, has refuted allegations that Peter Obi betrayed the late former Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu, by leaving the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the party that propelled him into the political spotlight.
Tanko’s response comes in the wake of accusations by the Biafra Independence Movement and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, claiming that Obi and former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, betrayed their party’s late leader by defecting from APGA after serving as governors.
Mazi Mocha, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity for BIM-MASSOB, asserted that Obi owed his governorship in 2003 to Ojukwu and expressed regret over his move to the Peoples Democratic Party as the vice-presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar shortly after Ojukwu’s death in November 2011.
In an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH, Tanko defended Obi, stating that labeling him a betrayer was unjust, considering his aspiration to join a party with a nationalistic appeal.
Tanko emphasized that Obi’s decision to move to the Labour Party was strategic, as it represented the interests of all Nigerian workers, transcending ethnic and religious boundaries.
Tanko clarified, “Obi is not a betrayer at all.
In fact, BIM-MASSOB should be happy that Obi is a product of APGA that is now sellable to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Peter Obi, in this regard, was thinking of a nationalist political party.
I don’t see any wrong in that. For someone who wants to aspire to lead this country, he must be forward-thinking.”
He added that APGA had remained a regional party, and for Obi to position himself on the national stage, choosing the Labour Party was a strategic move.
Tanko also touched on the possibility of funds spent during their time in APGA, emphasizing that the details were unclear and could be subject to verification.
