Why I Told The Muslim Community In Awka Not To Come To My House But Went To Them Instead- Peter Obi

Over the weekend, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi visited the Muslim Community in Onitsha to celebrate Eid el Fitr  with them.

Through his Twitter handle, Obi revealed that his visit to the Muslim Community in Onitsha made the leadership of the Muslim Community in Awka to inform him about their intention to visit him in his house but that he chose to visit them instead in reminisce of the cordial relationship he had with them while he was the governor of the state as well as to fraternize with them

Obi further dispelled claims by some that he is wary of Muslims as well as the Northerners. He described  such negative and religious bigoted propaganda against him as politically induced falsehood.

According to him, the community recalled how he offered scholarship opportunities to their children and sponsored their pilgrimage to Mecca while he served as the governor of Anambra State.

In his words: “Earlier today, I visited the Muslim Community in Awka. When the leadership of the Community contacted me with their intention to visit me at my house in Onitsha, following my visit to Onitsha Muslim Community yesterday, I decided, instead, to visit them in their mosque and fraternise with them.

“Their leadership explained that their intention had been to share some convivial moments with me as we always did in the past while I was Governor, and to encourage me on the journey to a New Nigeria, regardless of the many politically-induced falsehoods being peddled against me. They expressed gratitude that even though they had wished to visit me, I opted to visit them instead, at the mosque and celebrate Eid el Fitr with them.

“The leaders of the Community recalled that I never failed to celebrate their sallah with them when I was the Governor of the State, a ritual that I continued even after I left office.

“They also recalled that during my administration many of their children received academic scholarships and many Community members undertook state-sponsored pilgrimage to Mecca.

See Also: https://thereliantnews.com/?p=397

“The members decried the many lies and fake news told by traducers to tarnish my image in the North, considering how I have helped their community to grow”.

“I appreciated their love and support, and stressed the need for the unity of Nigeria, while urging Nigerians to resist any attempt to divide the nation along religious and tribal lines.

“I further underlined the need for Nigerians to continue to love and support one another for the realisation of a new and better nation. I presented my material and cash gifts to them”.