The governorship candidate of Accord party in Enugu state in next year’s election, Barr. John Nwobodo, has said that when sworn in as the governor next year, he would step up fight against outcaste system whereby some people are regarded as freeborn while others are slaves, aliens and foreigners.
The outcastes system which is known as Osu in Igboland is a culture which many have been fighting in recent time to avoid feud and acrimony among communities and individuals.
Speaking to newsmen in an interview, Nwobodo deplored the system saying that segregation is against the nation’s Constitution, adding that he would do everything humanly possible as a human right lawyer to ensure that people would not be discriminated against.
“I’ll fight the Osu caste system in Enugu state. Everybody is a freeborn as far as this country is concerned.
“As a human right lawyer, I’ll fight for everybody’s right in the state. I’ll step up fight against Osu caste system,” he said.
On the choice of his running mate for the 2023 Lion Building race, Nwobodo said his deputy would be made known before the INEC deadline for submission of deputy governor’s name on July 1.
He said, “we are cautious of INEC time lag on the choice of a running mate.”
The Accord party standard bearer dispelled the insinuation that he was holding fort for the PDP candidate, Peter Mbah, and that he would step down for him.
Nwobodo said that he was not holding fort for anybody and that he was in the race to “fill the vacuum created by PDP.”
He said that nothing would make him to step down for anybody but rather would pursue his ambition to be next governor.
“I am not aware of holding fort for anybody. I am running to fill the vacuum e by PDP.
“How will I step down? I am in a different party. Stepping down is a non-starter. It is out of the question,” he said.
He reiterated that he would complete all abandoned projects left off by past administration’s and aggressively embark on road infrastructure to link up rural communities as well as ensure that the teeming unemployed youths in the state are provided with employment by setting up a board akin to NDE.
