Nigeria Must Move Forward With Love – Obi Celebrates With Gowon @90

Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, said Nigeria must move forward with love.

Obi said this in response to the barrage of attacks he received over the weekend for celebrating the 90th birthday of former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon.

The former presidential candidate said his reasons for joining the rest of Nigerians in greeting General Gowon may not be entirely in line with those of some people, especially those who were direct victims of the war.

Anger, pain and bitterness are the most common reactions to atrocities.
However, he said such reactions have fuelled sectarianism, leading to resistance and avoidable revenge as seen around the world.

He said the state funeral of Biafran leader Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu on March 2, 2012, remained the clearest signal to the world that Nigeria as a nation is ready to move forward in the spirit of reconciliation.

It will be recalled that Gowon and Ojukwu were key figures in the 30-month civil war, with Gowon leading the Nigerian army as head of state and Ojukwu leading the Biafran forces that surrendered in 1970.