Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to put past divisions behind them and focus on building a more united country.
Obi made the appeal during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday, while addressing questions surrounding the 1966 military coup and its historical consequences.
The 1966 coup, led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and other young military officers, claimed the lives of several political and military figures, with Northern Nigeria particularly affected by the killings.
Responding to questions about the coup and whether historical events should influence contemporary political relationships, Obi said Nigerians should not attribute events that occurred during his childhood to him.
“You cannot hold what happened when I was barely three, four years against me. That’s in the past now.
“But we must build the future based on love, not on hatred. So it is time to show love. It is time to show unity.
“That’s why my presidency is about unity of the country, and it’s important that people understand that,” he said.
Obi maintained that Nigeria’s future should be shaped by reconciliation and national cohesion rather than resentment over events that occurred decades ago.
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