FACT-CHECK: Did Peter Obi Eject Northerners from Markets in Anambra?
Claim:
With his emergence as the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, is being accused in some quarters of ethno-religious bigotry. According to his accusers, he displayed hatred against Northerners and Muslims, and maltreated them in Anambra State while he was a governor.
Full Text:
In a widely circulated article titled “The insolence of Peter Obi against the North and Northerners part (1): A personal experience or a community’s travails in the hand of a Tribal bigot,” AG Mahmoud claimed that Obi ordered the ejection of Northerners from a particular market in Onitsha.
“Obi refused to change position all because we are Northerners and not Igbos, therefore we don’t deserve to be owning or occupying land for businesses. In one of the meetings, he openly said to us “you people are foreigners here therefore you have no right on our land” a clear case of intolerant leader, discrimination and hatred and indeed a bigot to the core. As a result, all the traders relocated to Asaba with their businesses. He also said that he hated seeing Hausas at the point of entering Anambra state from Delta state as if Onitsha is not an Igbo town,” AG Mahmoud claimed in his article.
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VERIFICATION
Using verification tools and search engines, PRNigeria could not locate from credible media sources any material linking the governor to some of the allegations against him, especially on his statements as well on the order he allegedly made.
Meanwhile, there are contrary evidences where Governor Obi promised to assist Northerners and Muslims to rebuild a demolished mosque in the state.
Speaking when he received the Muslim Council in the state led by its chairman, Alhaji Adudulraham Suberu, the then Governor Obi in 2012 said the on-going demolition in the state was aimed at making the state more beautiful and clean for the people. He promised to re-build the mosque that was demolished at the site the government provided for them.
Also in his reaction to the said article, Valentine Obienyem, media adviser to Peter Obi, said the former governor did not eject northerners from markets they had occupied since the 1970s in the state.
“This is complete falsehood. If Obi made that statement, it would have been lavishly published by the media. Would the author show us the link where the statement was published?”
Conclusion: Based on findings by PRNigeria, there is not enough evidence that Mr Peter Obi has open hatred against Northerners and Muslims.
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