A Statement
from Mr. Peter Obi to the people of Anambra State on the confirmation of his
election as the Governor of Anambra by the Anambra State Elections Petitions
Tribunal on Friday August 12, 2005
August 12, 2005
My beloved people of Anambra State. Today the Anambra State
Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Awka announced to the world that I, Peter
Obi, am the duly elected Governor of Anambra State in the 2003 gubernatorial
election. This long-awaited verdict, this resounding affirmation of justice, has
reiterated the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary.
This judgment, we must never forget, is not a victory for Peter Obi as an
individual. It is not a victory for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
as a political party. It is essentially a victory in the development of Nigerian
democracy, an impetus for creating a much better society for our children and
children’s children. It has lent credence to the point that, in the journey of
life, there are no alternatives to treading the path of truth.
When I sought your votes during the political campaigns for the Anambra
governorship election, the promise I received everywhere I visited was that you
would vote for me en masse, given the comprehensive manifesto of programmes I
enunciated. But, apprehensive of the possibility of vote manipulation, you also
wondered if it would be feasible to prevent the stealing of your mandate. I
remember giving the general assurance that, once you voted for me, the rest
should be left to me and our God, the Father Almighty, who cannot be deceived by
the antics of man.
Today, the Lord has been vindicated for, as Psalm 94:14 tells us:
“The Lord will not reject his people nor will he forsake his heritage.
Justice will return to the just, and the upright will follow in its wake.”
Today we celebrate our deserved victory because, according to Proverbs 13:9:
“The light of the righteous rejoices
But the lamp of the wicked will be put out.”
We have reclaimed your mandate to the general cadences of joy and gladness. But
the most memorable aspect of our victory is that we achieved it through peaceful
and democratic means. We have obtained justice, the fundamental pillar of peace,
without recourse to any form of violence whatsoever. It is on the basis of this
genuine peace, which issues from justice, that we all, indigenes and
non-indigenes of Anambra State alike, must now forge ahead in this new era, to
appropriate true and lasting development that is not based on lies and
propaganda.
Leadership.
I recall that discussing the crucial topic of leadership in my manifesto I had
made this solemn promise: “Our government will establish character and integrity
in governance. We will restore core societal values, transparency and
accountability. We will also establish and manage a creative climate where
people are self-motivated towards the mastery of their long-term goals in a
participatory environment.”
The time for redeeming the promise has finally come, this dawn of a new era. We
shall promptly put in place an all-inclusive government composed of men and
women of impeccable credentials. This is because there is much work to do. I
stated and stressed in my election campaigns that any month I did not pay staff
salaries, pensions and gratuities by the 30th day of the month, I would resign
my governorship. In like manner my solemn promise to address problems related to
agriculture, education, the environment, health, industrialization,
infrastructure and security, in Anambra State stands.
My dear people of Anambra State, it is obvious that the challenges before us are
enormous. But they can be surmounted if we act as one. That is why I must repeat
the appeal I made at the beginning of this statement. The certainty of our
electoral victory, which has today been confirmed by the Elections Petitions
Tribunal, is down God’s benevolence, and to the steadfast support that you gave
to my efforts to reclaim the mandate you freely gave to me. It is a historic
feat that we achieved without emitting one abusive word, without throwing a
single punch, and without resorting to any undemocratic methods. I URGE YOU ALL,
MY VERY DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, TO MAINTAIN AND SUSTAIN THIS ATTITUDE OF
POLITICS WITHOUT ACRIMONY AND VIOLENCE. It is only in the atmosphere of peace
and stability that we can repair our damaged society, reconstruct our destroyed
infrastructure, restore the battered essence of our people and revalidate the
dignity and uniqueness of Ndi Anambra as a special people known and respected
the world over as honourable and go-getting.
“You shall know the truth”, said our Lord Jesus Christ in John 8:32. “And the
truth shall make you free.” The truth has imbued us with a new lease of life
based on freedom. This new era of our people’s freedom has no room for
recriminations. It cannot be subordinated to witch-hunting. It is not in
consonance with vendetta. We have forgiven because, being predominantly of the
Christian faith in this State, we dare not forget that in The Lord’s Prayer we
plead thus with God the Father Almighty: “Forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us.” We have forgiven also because, as Ndigbo
put it, anger against kin can only be flesh-deep; it never gets to the bones.
There is much work to do. Recognizing that igwebuike (Unity is Strength), I
welcome with open arms all levels and all segments of our State in the task of
giving our people a new heart. I extend an open-ended invitation to every
indigene of Anambra State, irrespective of political affiliation, to join hands
with me in the onerous but attainable and honourable mission of healing our
collective wounds and badly battered psyche. A new era has begun.
Long live the All Progressives Grand Alliance. Long Live new Anambra State and
Nigeria that are indexed on equity and justice.
