By Luminous Jannamike

Retired army officer, Colonel Chinyere Obi, has denounced the Labour Party due to lack of support following an election-related incident in which she reportedly sustained a gunshot wound.

The ex-military officer, who vigorously campaigned for the Labour Party’s Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election, was assaulted and shot in the leg during the State Assembly election in her village, Dike-Nafa, Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State.

“The thugs, brought in by some politicians, assaulted me, and one of them fired a shot that struck my leg, resulting in a piercing wound,” Col. Obi stated in a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

She added that as a diabetic, the wound has since developed into a serious health complication.

The former army colonel expressed her disappointment with the Labour Party for not acknowledging her plight.

“Despite having a chapter of the party in Imo State, they did not visit me in the hospital,” Obi lamented.

She explained that she had sent the party images of her injured leg and messages about her desperate need for assistance, due to financial struggles.

“I had to sell my car to cover the cost of my treatment, as the hospital refused to discharge me until I settled my outstanding medical bills of N1.5m,” Obi said.

In a surprising turn of events, the retired colonel, who turned 74 last month, vowed that none of the Labour Party candidates in Imo, Kogi, and Ondo would emerge victorious in the upcoming governorship elections.

“I have completely disassociated myself from the Labour Party,” she declared.

Following her recent ordeal, Col. Obi showed no interest in re-engaging in partisan politics, but expressed a preference for the ruling APC over the Labour Party.

She also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to focus on providing employment opportunities for the Nigerian youth.

The retired colonel suggested that if opposition parties could collaborate effectively, they have the potential to overthrow the APC-led government in Imo State.

“Had the Labour Party invested more resources during the election campaign, the election results could have been different,” she noted.