I’m not interested in calling others names, Atiku’s my elder - Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has said he has no intention to engaging in arguments or call his political opponents names in the course of electioneering.

He said this on Monday at an interactive session between him and north-eastern stakeholders in Abuja.

Obi dismissed speculations that he was secretly fighting his former principal and standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar.

He argued that what was most important for him and other Labour Party chieftains across the country was to ensure the millions of citizens were pulled out of poverty.

The former Anambra governor said, “Atiku remains a very well respected senior brother. In my place you respect elders.

“Even if he (Atiku) abuses me publicly, I won’t reply because he is my senior. If God will ever give me money or power to disrespect my seniors, he should take it.

“That is not what God wants. People who are elders must be respected. I have older brothers and I must respect them because I want to be respected when I am their age.

“I will come to Adamawa to campaign. If it is possible and he (Atiku) is around, I will go to his house to greet him and even eat there. He is my brother.

“I am an Igbo man and we train people to trade. When we complete the training of apprentices, we settle them to join us in the same trade.

“That’s where I am. He (Atiku) settled me and I am doing the same ‘trade’ with him. We are not quarreling. All we are doing now is looking for ‘customers’. We should be a family and work together.

“Some people think politics is about quarreling and calling people bad names. I am not interested in that. I am interested in pulling people out of poverty. I want to see people happy.”

Obi also dismissed insinuations that he runs a penny-pinching campaign; saying he is not averse to spending money, but is more concerned about how to use state money for public good, if elected Nigeria’s next President in 2023.