What I will do to El-Rufai for calling me ‘tribal bigot’- Peter Obi

The Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Peter Obi, on Saturday called on Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State to stop making hate speeches that will divide and destroy the country .
Obi said this while reacting to El Rufai’s tweet describing him as “a tribal bigot.”

El-Rufai had in a tweet claimed that Obi supported his (El-Rufai’s) arrest by the Department of State Services, DSS in 2014 on the ground that “El-Rufai has no business being in Anambra State as it is not Katsina State.”   

Obi, while answering questions from journalists on the matter at a youth programme in Nnewi, Anambra State on Saturday, expressed shock at statement from El-Rufai.

According to him, he would only pray for El-Rufai and encourage him to concentrate on doing those things that will better lots of Nigerians rather than engage in hate speeches.

He said, “This is suggesting that it was what he sat down to think of rather than thinking about how to solve the many problems plaguing the country.

“What His Excellency, Gov. Nasir Ahmad El Rufai said about me has been brought to my attention. I believe that as we grow older and are saddled with more responsibilities, we are expected to become circumspect in our thinking and avoid recklessness in our speeches and utterances.

“How does the circumstance he referred to relate to bigotry to warrant such a label?

“All I do for people like El-Rufai is to pray for them and encourage them to concentrate on doing those things that will better the lots of Nigerians rather than engage in hate speeches that will divide and destroy the country.

“At this difficult times in our country, when thousands of our brothers and sisters across ethnic divide are killed all over the country, including innocent citizens in Kaduna state; millions of our children from all the parts of the country are out of school; millions of Nigerian youths from all the parts of the country are without jobs, our pre-occupation, especially among those that are in government should not be making reckless speeches.

“What our leaders should be doing today is seeking solutions to the numerous problems of our dear country.

“I am aware that during the said election he referred to, security agents merely restricted his movement because he had no business being in Anambra as I would not have been in Kaduna on an election day.”

The former governor of Anambra State further appealed to Nigerians, especially those in positions of authority, to avoid what he called “the dominance of the vice of hate”