By ALEX ENEBELI

The former Governor of Anambra, Mr. Peter Obi and some Igbo leaders, on Tuesday, paid a New Year homage to elder statesman and former Governor of old Anambra, Sen. Jim Nwobodo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Igbo leaders that accompanied Obi, included Sen. Ben Obi, Sen. Sam Egwu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo and Sen. Gil Nnaji.

They made the visit to the octogenarian in his ancestral home in Amechi, Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Receiving the visitors, Nwobodo described Obi as a “respectable and accepted” candidate by all.

He said that Ndigbo deserved a better bargain in Nigeria from what they had been given in the past 56 years, and urged Obi to be steadfast in his pursuit.

The one-time Minister of Sports said that he felt great by the visit and thanked God for the mark of respect the visitors gave to him.

“I’m no longer just Jim Nwobodo, the politician; I’m an elder statesman, that’s why you came to see me, and I pray for them.

“God will make things easy for us this time around.

“This young man (Obi), I have known him when he was governor and we have been friends and I believe that God willing, because you have to put God first, whatever we have asked for him, God will do it.

“Obi is a candidate that is respectable and acceptable by all.

“I have always said that we want to know our position in Nigeria. Are we strangers?

“We are the people that formed this country called Nigeria.

“Zik of Africa was there, and he will be shaking and angry in his grave that what he fought for had not been met.

“So, we still pray God that one day an Igbo will be the president of Nigeria,” Nwobodo said.

Earlier, Obi said that they were in Nwobodo’s house strictly for New Year good wishes.

“This is not the first time we are coming here, we just came to wish him the best of the New Year, healthy, fruitful years ahead.

“We will come back to discuss politics and way forward and he will pray for us,” Obi said.

In his remarks, Sen. Ben Obi described Nwobodo as the “Godfather” of South-East politics which, he said, was the reason for the courtesy visit.

“We decided to visit him as our leader and father, we have not come here to discuss politics today at all, it is just to wish him well as we agreed on Dec. 26.

“That’s why you can see that the number is not ordinarily what it should be.

“It is just for us to come and say happy, healthy and prosperous New Year and that’s what we have done.

“The delegation will be complete to brief him on the issue of Nike Lake declaration of Mr Peter Obi into African Democratic Congress (ADC).

“This visit has been an annual ritual,” Ben Obi said. (NAN)