TheCable

Valentine Obienyem, media adviser to Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), says his principal did not say “serious leaders do not go on rest”.

Obi, on Sunday, joined the Muslim community to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr at the Central Mosque in Onitsha, Anambra state.

In a statement on Tuesday, Obienyem said Obi was asked by journalists at the event why he was not taking the holidays to rest.

According to Obienyem, Obi’s response was: “Well, those who need rest should have rest. Those of us who don’t need rest should continue to work.”

However, he said Obi’s statement was misinterpreted by some sections of the media who reported him as saying that “no serious leader will go on rest”.

“For me, politics is not about the office; it’s about helping to get a better society. If you are in politics because of office, it’s wrong. Politics is about the good of the society. As I am leaving here, I am going to the hospital to support people in the hospital. That’s what politics is about,” Obienyem quoted Obi as saying.

“Well, those who need rest should have rest. Those of us who don’t need rest should continue to work,” Obi added.

Obienyem said he was unsure where the media organisations that published the quote got it from.

He said such interpretation was part of the ploy to make sure “the former Anambra state governor is dragged into every controversy to distract attention and remove his focus on the issue and on the mission of rescuing Nigeria”.