Former Anambra State governor and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has refuted claims that any political party has “captured” the Southeast following recent defections of key politicians.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Obi described such assertions as undemocratic and politically insignificant, stressing that the will of the people—not political alignments—determines electoral outcomes.
“No party will win any state just because it has a governor,” Obi said. “This is democracy, not military rule. The people decide where they go, not governors or senators.”
Reacting to the defection of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Obi noted that the move was a personal decision, not a regional shift.
“Peter Mbah is my friend, and he acted based on his own calculations. But nobody is ‘capturing’ the Southeast,” Obi said. “Leadership is about doing the right thing so people willingly follow you, not through coercion.”
On the planned protest by Omoyele Sowore over the detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Obi urged the Federal Government to embrace dialogue rather than confrontation.
“There was no need for Kanu’s arrest in the first place,” he said. “Agitators should be engaged through dialogue, negotiation, and consultation—not arbitrary actions.”
Obi also advised the newly nominated INEC Chairman to uphold integrity and transparency in the management of future elections.
“None of us lasts forever,” he said. “Whoever holds that office must protect their reputation and do what is right for Nigerians.”
The LP leader rounded off his Abuja engagements with a visit to LEA Nursery and Primary School, Kapwa, where he reiterated his commitment to revamping Nigeria’s education sector and called for urgent reforms to safeguard the future of Nigerian children.
