Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has sparked mixed reactions online following his appearance at the inauguration of the Abuja campaign office of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde.

The event, held on Monday in the Federal Capital Territory, was attended by Makinde’s supporters, Obi and other members of the APM.

Videos of the event shared online showed Obi expressing solidarity with Makinde and describing him as a qualified candidate for the presidency.

Obi said his presence at the inauguration was aimed at promoting cooperation among political leaders and allowing Nigerians to freely choose their preferred candidate.

“You have a candidate who is contesting for President today. My dear brother, Seyi Makinde, is he qualified to be President? Yes. He’s qualified,” Obi said.

He added that whoever emerged victorious through a free and credible election should be supported by others to work towards addressing the country’s challenges.

“Whoever wins, genuinely, from a free, fair, credible election, all of us want to work together to save this country from collapse. That is why I’m here, to show solidarity, to assure you that we are changing the people,” he said.

“We don’t want policies of quarrel, policies of disagreement. Let our quarrel be to feed our people,” he added.

He further expressed his desire for a country where citizens could achieve their aspirations regardless of their background or connections.

“We want Nigeria where a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody. That’s what we want,” Obi added.

The speech, however, triggered varied reactions online, with some social media users praising Obi’s position, while others questioned the decision of a presidential candidate to appear at the campaign event of another presidential contender.

Omo_asunmogejo wrote: “Is Peter Obi not a ‘gbewudani’ by joining the campaign of another presidential candidate in an election that he himself is a candidate. If he is serious about his own campaign he won’t have time to be campaigning for another presidential candidate.”

Deximal simply reacted: “Lol. Presidential candidate at the inauguration of another presidential candidate.”

Segun Benson suggested that there could be more to the development, writing: “Something is cooking underneath. Well, once done, we will all see it, whether to eat it or trash it.”

Paul Bushman criticised Obi’s approach, describing it as “naive politics.” He wrote: “Can you see a democrat or republican at another party’s function endorsing their candidate while also contesting for the same position? Nothing like politics without bitterness. Obi lacks ideological faithfulness. No wonder he changes parties easily.”

Tripsoflife also questioned the development, writing “Obidients are supporting and marketing @PeterObi an NDC presidential candidate, in return Obi is marketing @seyimakinde of the APM. Stop Obi from attending places you guys think it was a joke, soon baba go campaign for Atiku and Tinubu. Obi(MTN) everywhere you go.”

However, some users defended Obi, arguing that his appearance demonstrated a willingness to put national interest above personal political ambition.

Odyssey wrote: “This man only cares about Nigerians. He’s not desperate to be president. He just wants to save Nigerians, so let’s try our best to support his goal for us all. Nigerians Wake up.”

Jeremial Olaposi described Obi’s approach as “the more you look, the less you see style of politics.”

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Anambra State has protested the exclusion of the party and its women in the arrangements for the visit of the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to the state on Thursday.

Though the party leadership congratulated and welcomed the First Lady to the state, it added that the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, is deceiving President Bola Tinubu with the impression that they are working together, whereas the APC in Anambra is being alienated from national activities.

In a statement issued on Monday in Awka, signed by the state secretary, Sir Obi Okpala, and made available to reporters, APC said the party only knew about the arrangements through the announcement by the Office of the First Lady of Anambra State, Dr Nonye Soludo.

The statement read, “The Anambra State APC warmly welcomes Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu CON, to our dear state and appreciates her unwavering commitment to the empowerment, welfare and economic advancement of Nigerian women, particularly her initiative to empower thousands of women across the Southeast.

“However, the Anambra State APC is constrained to express its concern and disappointment that, as of the time of issuing this statement, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in Anambra State, including its women leadership and recognised party structures, have neither been formally invited nor meaningfully carried along in the arrangements for this important visit.

“As the leading political party at the national level and a major political stakeholder in Anambra State, we believe that an official visit by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly one centred on the empowerment of women, should transcend partisan considerations and provide an opportunity for broad participation, consultation and inclusion.

“It is therefore difficult for us to reconcile the apparent exclusion of the APC and its women structures with the repeated public narrative of “Progressives Are Working Together”

“The Rhetorics of Progressives Working Together is only intended for the National Television shows as APGA as a party is not marketing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his achievements in the state  but using it to hoodwink APC leadership and also to confuse the gullible public into voting APGA candidates in the National  and State Assembly Elections.

“We believe that this should not be interpreted as an attempt to politicise your humanitarian and empowerment programme, but rather as an appeal for greater inclusion and recognition of all relevant stakeholders in the spirit of national unity.

“The APC has been structured and strengthened to deliver Mr President in Anambra State, we totally reject the rhetoric of Progressives are working together because is not tenable anywhere rather they are confusing Mr President with the 25 percent narrative which they know they are not capable of producing considering their background, because all their media communications are demarketing Mr President and APC.”