Yunusa Tanko, the chief spokesman for the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation, has vehemently denied accusations that the former Anambra State governor betrayed late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu, by leaving the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Tanko’s response comes in the wake of allegations by the Biafra Independence Movement (BIM) and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).
In a statement, Mazi Mocha, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity for BIM-MASSOB, accused Peter Obi and former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, of betraying Ojukwu by defecting from APGA after serving as governors. Mocha claimed that without Ojukwu’s support, Obi wouldn’t have become Anambra State governor in 2003.
Tanko refuted these claims in an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH, stating that labeling Obi as a betrayer is inappropriate. He emphasized that Obi’s decision to move to a party with a nationalistic appeal should be seen positively, especially as he aspires to lead the country.
“Peter Obi, in this regard, was thinking of a nationalist political party. I don’t see any wrong in that. For someone who wants to aspire to lead this country, he must be forward-thinking,” Tanko remarked. He highlighted Obi’s strategic choice of the Labour Party, which he believes represents the interests of all Nigerian workers, transcending ethnic and religious boundaries.
Tanko also addressed the issue of funds spent during Obi’s time in APGA, indicating that the details remain unclear, and there may be reasons why Obi asserted that he didn’t spend money in the manner politicians do now to reclaim their mandates.
The denial from Obi’s camp challenges the narrative put forth by BIM-MASSOB, which expressed regret over Obi’s defection to the Peoples Democratic Party and criticized him for not acknowledging Ojukwu’s role in reclaiming his governorship mandate in the court.