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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has apologised to the party’s governorship candidate in Rivers State, Beatrice Itubo, for not visiting her during his trip to the state last Thursday.
Obi was invited to commission the Nkpolu Oroworukwo flyover in Port Harcourt by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday.
During his visit, the Labour Party flag bearer asked Wike to support his presidential bid.
He told Wike to support him and his party for the presidency while they will vote for Peoples Democratic Party candidates for the governorship, National Assembly and House of Assembly elections.
“Remember this agreement today. I’m kneeling down and begging. Take this one, give me this one. I assure you the one I will take, I will use it to ensure that Rivers State becomes greater and better,” he had said.
Obi also visited the state coordinator of his presidential campaign and other party stakeholders.
However, the party’s governorship candidate was absent from his meetings. It was gathered that Itubo had a domestic accident while preparing for Labour Party’s campaign two weeks ago and currently recuperating from the accident.
Some Labour Party members in the state had frowned at Obi’s attitude and comment. The were also angry about how he asked Wike to take the governorship seat and support him for the presidency, with some members threatening to work against him in the state.
But in a series of tweets on his Twitter page on Saturday, Obi apologised for the “inadvertent oversight,” saying he was not aware the party’s governorship candidate was indisposed.
He reassured Itubo of a cordial working relationship between both of them.
“My sincere apologies to Mrs Beatrice Itubo, the Labour Party candidate in Rivers State, for an inadvertent oversight. When I visited Port Harcourt a few days back, I was not informed or aware of her sickness.
“On arrival in PH, I was welcomed by the Labour Party presidential state coordinator in Rivers State and other party stakeholders. We had a useful meeting, and I explained to them the purpose of my visit which was to respectfully honour an invitation by the Rivers State Government and that I will return for our party’s rally and other LP engagements soon.
“No one mentioned that our candidate was sick, otherwise I would have visited her before or after the event. I had committed to passing through the campaign office no matter how late, and I did at about 6.30pm.
“My dear sister, I sincerely wish you a very quick recovery and reassure you of our good working relationship. May God Almighty bless you always,” he wrote.