The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, became emotional on Thursday during the burial of a party supporter, Christopher Nworie, who was killed in an attack during a governorship campaign event in Enugu State.
Nworie died after suspected political thugs attacked the NDC’s governorship campaign flag-off in the state.
Speaking at the burial, Obi described the incident as painful and preventable, questioning why political activities should result in the loss of human lives.
The former Anambra State governor disclosed that he had changed his travel plans to attend the burial, returning to Nigeria from the United Kingdom a day earlier than scheduled.
“One day, we will all end up six feet underground. His death is painful. I was supposed to return tomorrow, but because of this burial, I immediately changed my ticket and returned to Nigeria from the UK last night,” Obi said.
He condemned the violence, arguing that political parties should focus on presenting their policies and addressing issues affecting Nigerians rather than engaging in hostility.
“We cannot continue like this. Someone died because of an election. Why not campaign based on issues? You cannot see me campaigning by insulting another party. I campaign based on issues that concern the people,” he said.
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Obi stressed that electoral contests should not cost anyone their life, calling attention to the need for issue-based campaigns and an end to political violence.
Nworie’s death occurred amid preparations for the governorship election in Enugu, with the circumstances surrounding the reported attack highlighting concerns over violence during political activities.
