The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has denied reports that he is aspiring for the 2027 presidential election from 2023.
The former Governor of Anambra State posted on his Twitter handle, that the reports are “bogus” and that he has never granted any interview or press remarks to that effect.
He also denied reports that he kicked against an alleged offer by President Bola Tinubu to state governors, including those elected on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and LP, to serve in the boards and parastatals of Federal Government agencies which were dissolved by the president last month.
Obi said he is focused on creating a new Nigeria and that his emphasis has never been on political positions or personal aggrandizement.
“Our messages during the electioneering campaigns were all issue-driven,” he said.
The full statement reads:
“I have noticed with dismay, an emerging pattern where fake media reports and news items are predicated on interviews and press remarks I never granted.
“Two recent instances relate to my saying that I am looking forward to running for office in 2027 on a supposed Arise TV interview that never took place. The other is about my reaction to prospective appointees into the Federal Government. Both reports are bogus.
“Regrettably, our politics have sunken to this abysmal level where manipulation of the media space is now a trade.
“For me, I shall continue to speak on topical national issues via recognized news and media outfits. But I certainly will not concern myself with cheap distractive trolls.
“My focus and that of the Obidient Movement will not derail from the original mission of creating a new Nigeria which we believe is POssible. Our emphasis has never been on political positions or personal aggrandizement, but on putting the nation on the right footing and deepening our democracy by helping to elevate and empower the downtrodden in our society.
“That was why our messages during the electioneering campaigns were all issue-driven.”