Valentine Obienyem, the media adviser to Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has said his principal did not say “serious leaders do not go on rest”.
Peter Obi, on Sunday, joined the Muslim community to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr at the Central Mosque in Onitsha, Anambra state, Southeast Nigeria.
Obienyem in a statement on Tuesday said Obi was asked by journalists at the event why he was not taking the holidays to rest.
According to Obienyem, the LP presidential candidate’s response was “Well, those who need rest should have rest. Those of us who don’t need rest should continue to work.”
Nevertheless, he said Obi’s statement was misinterpreted as “no serious leader will go on rest”.
Obienyem quoted Obi as saying, “For me, politics is not about the office; it’s about helping to get a better society. If you are in politics because of office, it’s wrong. Politics is about the good of the society. As I am leaving here, I am going to the hospital to support people in the hospital. That’s what politics is about.
“Well, those who need rest should have rest. Those of us who don’t need rest should continue to work.”
Obienyem added that “the former Anambra state governor is dragged into every controversy to distract attention and remove his focus on the issue and on the mission of rescuing Nigeria”.
