By Tonye Orabere
Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State, on Saturday inaugurated members and executives from Rivers, Bayelsa, and Cross River States of the Peter Obi Our President (PETOOP) group.
The event, which attracted a huge crowd, saw people from various walks of life in attendance; it can be described as one of the most determined groups for Peter Obi.
The aim and objective of the group is to come together purposefully and intentionally, mobilize Nigerians, and campaign for Peter Obi to win the presidency of Nigeria come 2027.
Speaking, the chairman of the occasion, Dr. Okelechukwu Benjamin Okuolu, who was a former senatorial candidate of Rivers East under the Labour Party (LP), said the group is open for all Nigerians who want good governance to join; hence, it is not a political party.
Dr. Okuolu, who was represented by Christian Ojukwu, urged members to sacrifice to achieve good governance in Nigeria, adding that he is optimistic that Peter Obi will win come 2027, as he possesses the qualities.
“What happened in Rivers State in 2023 will happen again in 2027; let us just forget about what they did in terms of manipulation of results, but I believe this time it can’t happen again because we will protect our votes.
“I encourage every one of you here not to be intimidated by any person or group of persons to put fear in you.
“Stand by what you believe in. We all know that Peter Obi is the right person to be the president of Nigeria,” Dr. Okuolu said.
The chairman commended the national convener of the group, Chief Magnus Oraka, for the mobilization with the aim to achieve a better Nigeria.
Also speaking, the national convener of PETOOP, Chief Magnus Oraka, advised members to be courageous as to enable them to achieve good governance.
According to him, the problem of Nigeria was because people without good education and foresight are the people at the helm of affairs.
“Nigeria’s bad economy is because people without education and foresight are the people leading us; people who have never managed wealth before in their whole lives suddenly are now in charge of billions of naira,” Chief Oraka said.
In her response, the coordinator of PETOOP in Rivers State, Mrs. Becky Napoleon, explained that the group came together with a collective voice and united force for positive change.
“Our coming together here is not by coercion but by personal conviction put together and a common belief for a better future for our country and children.
Transformation does not come from an individual but is taken from a comity of committed people. PETOOP is not just launching ideas but also igniting them to bring solutions where there are challenges. “This call to action is determined, guiding our vision driven by our desire to make a meaningful impact,” Mrs. Napoleon said.
The Bayelsa coordinator of the group, Mr. Ijaja Alabi, also spoke in line with the Rivers coordinator.
