The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has endorsed Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP) as their preferred presidential candidate for the February 25 poll.
The forum reached the decision after its extraordinary meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
Reading their communiqué at the end of the meeting, which lasted for several hours, a former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and former Minister of Information, John Nwodo, said the stakeholders resolved to work assiduously to ensure Peter Obi wins the election and succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29.
Part of the communique reads, “We warn all those who want to change the hands of the clock of Nigeria by doing anything that will derail a peaceful transition to the next civilian government of this country, that we shall rise like one-man in defence of the ballot box and that Nigerians must go to vote.
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“We enjoin other Nigerians who do not belong to our organisation to join us in realising this for the betterment of Nigeria. Peter Obi is your son and he is the rock upon which Nigeria will stand.”
The meeting was attended by elder statesman and leader of the forum, Chief Edwin Clark, Pa Ayo Adebanjo (Afenifere); Dr Bitrus Pogu, (President of the Middle Belt Forum) and John Nwodo, representing the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, among other elders.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi on Thursday appealed to the Kebbi State electorate to vote for him to build a new Nigeria of their choice.
Addressing the party’s supporters at a campaign rally in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, Obi said the APC administration only succeeded in creating insecurity, poverty, corruption and hunger in the last seven years.
He said: “We must agree to take over from them. Nigeria is blessed. Nigerians should be able to feed themselves but people are hungry, there is poverty everywhere because of misrule.”
By Saawua Terzungwe (Abuja) & Ismail Adebayo (Birnin Kebbi)
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