Vote humans, not ‘broom, umbrella’, Obi tells supporters

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has urged his supporters to vote human beings in the forthcoming elections.

Obi, who said this on Saturday in Lagos at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium, stressed that people had, in the past, voted for “brooms and umbrellas” but it didn't work. He stressed that it was time to vote for human beings.

Obi was obviously taking a swipe at the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, whose logos were the broom and umbrella respectively.

He said, “They tell you; you voted for the PDP, the umbrella in it has put you into poverty. You voted for the broom, they took you to poverty.”

Obi said the level of poverty in Nigeria had increased in recent times.

The PUNCH reports that the National Bureau of Statistics had in November 2022 disclosed that 133 million Nigerians were multidimensionally poor.

In its National Multidimensional Poverty Index Report, the NBS said that 63 per cent of Nigerians were poor due to a lack of access to health, education, and living standards, alongside unemployment and shocks.

Speaking further, Obi said, “You voted for broom, it didn't work, you voted for umbrella, it didn't work, we now want you to vote for human beings.”

Obi also said he would apologise to victims of police brutality.

The PUNCH also reported that at the LP rally in Lagos, no fewer than four persons were injured in an attack on the supporters of Obi by suspected hoodlums.

According to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, investigations into the attack had commenced.

Hundeyin, who confirmed that four persons were injured, said the attack was regrettable, adding that witnesses were already helping the police with relevant information.

“The Jakande Ward Chairman of the Labour Party commendably reported an attack on his party members at Ilasan Division. Four injured persons have been given medical attention. The Divisional Police Officer, Ilasan, has commenced preliminary investigations while the State Criminal Investigation Department is to fully take over investigations.

“The injured and other witnesses are assisting the Police with relevant information that would aid the apprehension and prosecution of the attackers.

“This attack is reprehensible! It is verifiable that the Command had stationed, since yesterday, patrol vehicles and officers at the Tafawa Balewa Square venue of today's rally. We had already secured the venue to prevent any breakdown of law and order,” Hundeyin said in a series of tweets on Saturday.