‘Be Tolerant…Don’t Chase Away My Future Supporters’ — Peter Obi Cautions ‘Obidients’ After Attack On Pastor

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has cautioned his supporters who identify themselves as ‘OBIdients’ against chasing his prospective supporters and political allies through their utterances and engagements on social media.

Obi issued the caution days after his supporters severely criticized Pastor Poju Oyemade of the Covenant Christian Centre over the cleric’s social media post deemed to be targeted at the presidential aspirant.

In a now-deleted series of tweets, Oyemade had advised the youths against wasting their enthusiasm on a “poorly planned project”.

The pastor had said, “Faith is not just blind belief or hoping for a miracle. Faith sees. Faith has her eyes opened and possesses the evidence upon which it builds its belief. Faith prepares long, sometimes for years just as Joseph did for the years of famine. Faith counts the cost before embarking,” he wrote.

“Without having real evidence upon which you are acting nor preparation for the task, recognising real obstacles that lie ahead and making concrete plans, one is just being delusional about the outcome. The enthusiasm of the youth must not be wasted on poorly planned projects.

“Noah spent months/years planning for the flood & he was operating in faith. Jesus said no man goes to battle without taking stock first nor lays the foundation of a tower without counting the cost first lest he will be mocked. Our faith is intelligent it doesn’t live in denial.”

Although Oyemade did not mention Obi’s name anywhere in his writeup, his supporters took it to be an attack on Obi who had featured many times on the pastor’s ‘The Platform’ — a non-political and non-partisan national development platform.

People like Pastor Poju will never understand that people follow Peter Obi because they are tired and frustrated. We are grasping for a candidate that seems to understand our plight.

If you stand with any candidate that is part of our problem, then, you are part of our problem.

— Ozii Baba Anieto (@ozii_baba) July 1, 2022

Pastor Poju was called out for twisting the word of God. He deleted the misleading tweet. Now naysayers are attacking ObiDIENTS for spotting an obvious deception by a so-called Man of God, who supported Buhari is 2015. This is no 2015. Religious banditry will not be tolerated!

— NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) July 1, 2022

Reacting on Sunday, Obi in a series of tweets urged his supporters to be tolerant and graceful in their arguments to win more people to his side.

“I sincerely thank my supporters for believing in me and my commitment to building a united, secure and well-functioning Nigeria. However, I appeal once more that we should be tolerant of other people’s views, dissent and divergent opinions & possibly learn from them.

“While the frustration and anger in the country is understandable, we must strive to channel that energy positively in ways that will earn the support and collaboration of others.

“Even as our message continues to gain broad acceptance, there are some we still need to work to convince. In expressing ourselves, we should do so with grace so as not to precipitately shut doors to future collaborations on sustainable nation-building,” tweeted the Labour Party presidential flagbearer.