Afrika Shrine threat: Peter Obi visits Femi Kuti, says ‘campaign is issue-based’

Peter Obi has met with Femi Kuti amid the purported threats against the Afrobeat singer.

Obi is contesting the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party (LP).

Femi had earlier raised the alarm that some of Obi’s fans allegedly threatened to burn down the New Afrika Shrine.

The New Afrika Shrine is an open-air entertainment centre in Ikeja, Lagos.

It hosts Felabration, a music festival organised annually in honour of Fela Kuti, the late Afrobeat pioneer.

Trouble started after the singer was quoted as referring to Obi’s supporters as “zombies”.

Reacting to the report, Femi, however, said his words were taken out of context.

In a now-viral video, Obi clarified the nature of his campaign after meeting the singer.

The former Anambra governor assured Femi that his “Obidient movement” will focus its campaign on issues rather than personality attacks.

The presidential hopeful also disclosed that he saw Kuti’s public statements and decided to visit the singer so as to set the record straight.

“I saw what he tweeted and I said, no. That’s not the future of the society we want to build. We need a campaign based on issues that affect Nigeria. That’s what I [already told] everybody to do,” Obi could be seen saying.

In Obi’s company during the visit was Charly Boy, the veteran singer, and other members of the politician’s team.

A segment of social media users had earlier criticised the behaviour of some of Obi’s supporters whom rivals have described as “toxic”.

Femi, who is the eldest son of Fela, has not publicly endorsed any candidate for the 2023 election.

Last year, he had called out the All Progressives Congress (APC) for using an inscription of his late father on its campaign shirts.

Femi had said his family does not align with any political party in Nigeria and beyond.