A spokesperson for the OBI/DATTI Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Dele Farotimi, on Tuesday said the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum joined the Labour Party to actualise the presidential ambition of the party’s candidate, Peter Obi.

Farotimi, who made a live appearance on Channels Television’s The 2023 Verdict, noted that the apex socio-political groups in the South and North-Central geopolitical zones had declared their support for a president of Igbo extraction well before Obi’s emergency.

He noted that, over two years ago, the groups identified critical issues plaguing Nigeria which needed to be tackled.

“We came out with our position publicly – I’m talking about the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, which comprises Ohanaeze, Afenifere, PANDEF, and the Middle Belt Forum,” he said.

“All four came together over two years ago and we were speaking publicly about the need for a power shift. After a point, we all came together; we spoke to the need for power to shift, for the sake of equity and justice, to the South-East. All this time, nobody was focusing on Peter Obi.”

According to Farotimi, the organisations had already taken a position. He added that in Obi, they had found the person who fit the bill in relation to competence, equity, and justice.

The human rights activist added that with Obi purportedly understanding the need to take another look at the country’s governance and make it work for the Nigerian people, the Southern and Middle Belt leaders collectively supported him.

“[Obi] was in Labour Party, so of course we went into the party with him, not necessarily as card-carrying members of the Labour Party,” Farotimi said.

“But in recognition of the fact that Labour Party presents an opportunity and the platform for the actualisation of these ideals that we have been speaking to all these years.

“If he had remained in the PDP, we may or may not have supported him. He may or may not even have been the one we would have been supporting.

“But today, based on the objective realities on the ground, he is in the Labour Party. We are not concerned about tribal consensuses. We took our positions based on the justice and equity of the situation.” (Channels TV)

•OBI/DATTI PCC Spokesperson Dele Farotimi