From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Communities in Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Local Government Areas of Anambra State have held a one-day prayer for the “recovery of Mr Peter Obi’s mandate” through the courts, saying that they were confident in the judiciary.
The communities were mobilised for the prayer session by the House of Representatives member-elect for that federal constituency, Hon. George Ozodinobi.
Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last election, had gone to court to contest the outcome of the polls, insisting that he won the election which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) pronounced him the second runner-up.
At the prayer session held at Egwegwe Square in Nimo community, Njikoka LGA and attended by clerics from different denominations, the people said that they were hopeful that Obi would “reclaim his mandate.”
In his speech, Ozodinobi told the people to remain patient and prayerful while waiting for the outcome of the legal action that is ongoing.
“This is an interdenominational prayer meeting consisting of all Christian clergies. You can see the level of turn out of my constituents. We all turned out here to pray for Mr Peter Obi, who is also my constituent too.
“We are very convinced that Obi won the election of February 25, but his mandate was unjustly given to someone else. So what we have done here today is to call on God to retrieve the mandate.
“Obi will be president of Nigeria, that we are sure of. They can only delay it, but even if it is one day to the end of the tenure, he will retrieve his mandate.
“My only fear is that when he (Obi) will change the presidential election timetable in Nigeria like he did in Anambra, INEC will now tax Nigerians twice to conduct presidential election separately and then others too,” he said.
Earlier, Rev Fr Venatius Ogbuagu, parish priest of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ifitedunu; Rev. C.C Molokwu and Rev. Michael Ufoaro led the sermon, prayer and praise sessions respectively.
Fr Ogbuagu, in his homily, said: “If we all keep quiet and refuse to speak, the country would continue to deteriorate. What happened during the election is theft of mandate.
“We are persistent in calling that votes should count in Nigeria because we can only hold those we voted to account. Those who we did not vote, but they stole the mandate will never reckon with us.
“They announced a winner of the election, and there was no jubilation anywhere. We are confident that God can do all things, and He will use the judges to do it, and you will see the real jubilation the day they will announce Peter Obi winner.”
