The former presidential candidate of the Labor Party, Peter Obi, has rebuked those who describe his supporters as “street hedgehogs” and “lower class Nigerians”, saying that such language reflects disdain for common citizens and the values ​​that unite the nation.
In a publication about his X Mango (previously Twitter) on Wednesday, Obi said it seemed “deeply unfortunate” that some Nigerians, especially those in privilege posts, have resorted to class -based insults against citizens who share their vision for a better country.
“Lately, I have heard some people say that those who follow Peter Obi are low class Nigerians, and some have even gone as far as they call them” street urchins “and people without value. It is deeply unfortunate that in today’s Nigeria, citizens now look at the fellow citizens in such a degrading way,” Obi wrote.
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The former Anambra governor said that his policy brand has always been based on humanity, empathy and inclusion, not elitism or segregation of classes.
“I have never belittled anyone, except to lift them. After all, we can only get up lifting others.
“My participation in politics has never been about associating with the so -called high and powerful, but of standing with common Nigerians whose voices have been silenced and whose resources have been stolen by the same ‘great names’ that are now paraded with all kinds of titles,” he added.
Obi, who has continued to command an important base support throughout the country, described as “morally incorrect” any attempt to degrade Nigerians who already fight for poverty and economic difficulties.
“No Nigerian has no value. No Nigerian is a hedgehog of the street. He speaks a lot about the state of our nation that everyday Nigerians are now mistreated by difficulties to the point that their leaders refer to them as people without value or hedgehogs,” he said.
Reaffirming its commitment to inclusive governance and social justice, OBI said that leadership must be measured by compassion, does not mock.
“All Nigerians deserve dignity, opportunity and care. That is why I will continue to make my part to ensure that common Nigerians enjoy a better life: one based on access to education, the health of quality and genuine efforts to get them out of poverty. True leadership is not about making fun of the weak; it is about lifting them,” he said.
OBI’s statement arrives a day after he appealed to the government of the state of Lagos so that the application of the temperament law with compassion in its continuous demolition exercise, pointing out that being legally correct should never cancel the need to be morally correct.
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