Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate, responded to Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the latter criticised the LP in a statement.

Tuesday’s APC governorship event in Osun featured remarks from Tinubu, who called the LP “a fungus party.”

“Think about your children and vote accordingly so you can see the future. Come out en masse. Don’t mind PDP and other mushroom parties — parties like Labour; they will labour till they die. God will not make you labourers,” he had said.

At a gathering the LP organised on Wednesday in Osun, Obi said the APC presidential candidate’s comment came from a place of hatred, but the LP will react with love.

“I listened to our national chairman when he said that somebody said that they can labour till death. When they talk like that, when they show you hatred, Labour Party will show them love. There is dignity in labour,” he said.

Yusuf Lasun is the LP’s candidate for governor, and Obi asked Osun residents to support him. Obi claimed that the LP’s main priority is safeguarding the welfare of its constituents.

“Vote for Labour Party so that your children can have jobs. Vote for people that will work for you,” he said.

“We want to change Nigeria and the only way we can change Nigeria is to remove all these people who have put Nigeria where it is for the past 23 years. This is time for them to go.

“They are owing salaries, pensions; and those that are working hard are not been paid. But this will stop once you vote Labour Party on Saturday.

“Vote for Labour Party; vote for the future of your children. Vote for the candidate that will be committed to better Osun state.

“We are going to introduce you to a governor who will be committed to a better Osun state, and that is what we want.”

I want to beg you, no matter the temptation of the money they might want to give you, do not sell your future,” he said.

“The reason we had been in trouble over the years is that when they give us part of the money they stole from us, we will still vote for them.

“If you can resist the temptation of not collecting the money, do not take it, but if you cannot resist the temptation, take the money and vote against them.”