By TINA TIMOTHY

The Peter Obi Support Network (POSN) has disclosed that the Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, will accelerate oil exploration in the North if elected into office during the 2023 election.

It also assured that Obi will ensure unprecedented development of the North as even development across the six geo-political zones is one of his agenda for a better nation.

The group in a statement issued on Monday and signed by its Director, Strategic Communication, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, was responding to a fake news that Obi is unexcited about the discovery of oil in the North. POSN stressed that the fake news was aimed to instigate bad blood against Obi, adding however, that “those behind the fake news have failed once more as none of the other presidential candidates has demonstrated more love for the North and coherently explained how he will speedily develop the region than Obi.”

The group made it clear that at no time the Labour Party Presidential candidate make such a statement while recently campaigning in Ibadan, urging the media to cross check their facts before rushing to publish so as to avoid misleading the public.

The statement reads in part: “Our attention has been drawn to a fake news material where the uninventive agents of the ragged APC and PDP Presidential campaign councils aimed to instigate bad blood between millions of lovely and dedicated Obidients and the incoming President of Nigeria, His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi, by fabricating a material that tends to paint the Labour Party Presidential candidate as being unexcited about the recent commencement of oil exploration in the North.

“We wish to state that at no time did Peter Obi speak with journalists over the issue of oil in the North in Ibadan, or elsewhere.

“Peter Obi’s idea about oil and other natural resources found across Nigeria is well documented and unalterable, and that is fundamentally to; explore more of such and use the derivations for the development of the country, with special attention paid to the areas where these natural resources are extracted from.

“Our Presidential candidate is excited with the commencement of oil exploration in the Kolmani Oil Field which adds about one billion barrels of oil and 500 cubic feet of gas to our national reserve.

“This development will no doubt provide more resources for the development of Nigeria, as the Peter Obi administration will ensure that every single dollar earned from oil or any other natural resources, either from the North, South or East shall be utilised for the development of our infrastructure and improving the lives of the people.

“As President, Peter Obi shall invest more resources into exploring the frontier basins in Nigeria where there are viable prospects of discovering and exploring multiple billions of barrels of oil, which revenue shall be judiciously utilised for aggressive developmental projects, human capital development, and targeted intervention on the oil producing communities.

“We therefore urge all Obidients from across Nigeria, especially, from the Northern part of the country, to ignore the lies and divisive tendencies of our known oppressors and their agents who are aware that the only way they can continue to hold us down is by projecting falsehoods to keep us divided instead of taking responsibility for the 23 years of waste, impunity, corruption, poverty distribution, oppression and destruction.

“We reassure Nigerians that the Obidient train is focused on its journey of birthing a new Nigeria and also implore media houses to cross check their reports before releasing the information so as to avoid misleading the public.”

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