The honorary citizenship conferred on the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has generated reactions from his party and co-contestant, Omoyele Sowore.
Newsonline reports that the Labour Party said the decision of the Dallas City mayor, in the United States to confer honorary citizenship on their presidential candidate showed that they have put forward the best among all contestants to save the country.
Peter Obi who disclosed the honorary citizenship conferment on Tuesday said, “Today in Dallas Texas United States, I met with the Mayor of Dallas and his team. I had the privilege of being conferred with the honorary citizenship of Dallas. I also met with a select group of Texas Judges.”
Labour Party in a statement on their official Twitter handle said, “Our Presidential Candidate @PeterObi met with the Mayor of Dallas, and was conferred with an Honorary Citizenship of Dallas. We have offered Nigerians the best for Presidency.”
They further challenged, “Let other Presidential Candidates show Nigerians where they are and what they are doing.”
In reaction to the former governor of Anambra’s citizenship conferment the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore said by Peter Obi celebrating the conferment he has been scammed.
Sowore said, “No wonder Peter Obi clearly stated he’s got no ideology different from Atiku and the rest, for him to be celebrating the conferment of “honorary citizenship” of Dallas shows he’s got no clue that the award is not even worth the paper it was printed upon. Someone scammed him!”
Meanwhile, the Labour Party presidential candidate has called on Nigerians in the diaspora not to get tired of the country but to continue to invest in critical infrastructures to make the country a better home.
On Wednesday in Dallas, Texas, United States, Peter Obi, told Nigerians in Texas that the country requires their intervention in education and foreign direct investment.
The Labour Party presidential candidate acknowledged the impacts of Nigerians in the diaspora and promised to create an enabling environment if elected to ensure they have voting right in 2027.
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In a series of tweets, Obi said, “I enjoin you never to despair or be weary in contributing your quota towards national capacity-building in Nigeria. Let us take back our country. The time is now. We must seize the moment. Thank you. God bless you all. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He added, “Beyond their renowned role of sending foreign remittances back home, the Diaspora is increasingly critical in advancing technology and skill transfer, strengthening democracy, opening up global supply chains, trade and foreign direct investment, education and research as well as healthcare. Nigerians in the diaspora constitute the first line of representation and the first line of defense. They have been flying the national flag high, in contributing their quota towards the development of the country across various sectors.”
He said, “Nigeria Diaspora remittances now augment and support education, promote entrepreneurship and stimulate businesses, and investments in healthcare in addition to foreign remittances.
“The diaspora community can be effectively mobilized as true assets for the rapid development of our country. The Nigerian diaspora can play a major role in helping Nigeria transform its education sector.
He further reminded, “The Nigeria Diaspora also has a critical role in healthcare and allied matters. It is important that our the spiraling exodus of Nigerian medical practitioners abroad, should start yielding some dividends back home through improved quality of healthcare delivery, infrastructure and personnel, arising from skill transfer. Opportunities also abound for proactive collaboration between the Diaspora community and the Federal and State governments in expanding healthcare delivery; improving the quality of our healthcare system as well as ensuring skill transfers to locally-based practitioners.