Accuses APC-rule regime of PDP, LP crises Makes records of how Yar’Adua, Maurice Iwu forced APGA to put an end to internal crisis
Despite being linked to the sponsors of a grand coalition of opposition political parties seeking to unseat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election, the Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has told his supporters that he will contest the forthcoming presidential election on the party’s platform.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Obi; former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and others had on March 20 in Abuja announced the formation of a coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
However, with Atiku’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Obi’s LP mired in internal political crises, the prospects of unity in the opposition have remained uncertain.
While speaking to a crowd of young supporters in a seven-minute, 16-second video, shared yesterday on the LP’s WhatsApp platform, Obi faulted the APC government for being the cause of the problems within the two major opposition parties – PDP and the LP.
The former Anambra State governor narrated how the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu, had forced the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to resolve its internal crisis.
When contacted by THISDAY, Obi’s spokesman, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, and the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, confirmed the authenticity of the video.
Obi explained to his audience that what appears to be an internal crisis in the two dominant opposition political parties has the government’s imprint written all over them.
In response to a question on which platform he intended to contest the 2027 election, Obi said: “I will continue to run in the Labour Party. I’m a member of the Labour Party.”
While answering another question from a youth who was disturbed about what appears to be Obi’s aloofness towards the LP’s crisis, the former Anambra State Governor said: “What is happening in the Labour Party and the PDP is caused by the government. Quote me anywhere.
We had a problem in our party (APGA) previously. The president was Yar’Adua. I approached him then; he picked the Chairman of INEC (Prof. Maurice Iwu) and told him, ‘I don’t want to have any problem in any party.’ We were forced to resolve it.”.
“But today, in every party, there are problems. These are deliberate problems that the system has created. These are some of the problems I need to clean out if I have an opportunity.
“Parties will function very well because you can’t have a system existing and in operation without having a good opposition,” he explained.
Obi urged Nigerians to take responsibility for ensuring that their votes matter, even if agents are being paid by political parties to do their bidding, that the ultimate decision about whether the people’s votes matter or not rests with voters.
He urged Nigerian youths and the people not to lose hope because positive change would also be resisted by those who have something to lose under the status quo.
Obi also noted that if left to him, there should be a retirement age for politicians contesting public office.
He further explained that at the time the 2027 election is being considered, he would be 65 years old and added that he does not want to be contesting elections in his 70s.
The Obidient Movement had last week brushed aside rumors that Obi was going to stand as a vice-presidential candidate to Atiku in a new coalition being formed in preparation for the 2027 elections.
The Obidient Movement, in the release signed by its Director of Strategic Communication and Media, Nana Kazaure, categorically stated that the report was devoid of any factuality and was not representing the current political standing and goals of Obi.
While confirming that discussions about possible coalition were ongoing, the group stressed that Obi’s priority remained to forge a united front to address Nigeria’s deep-seated challenges, including corruption, bad governance, hunger, poverty, and the growing population of out-of-school children.
“This is not about power for power’s sake,” the statement read.“It’s about building a politics that stands with the people and serves them.”Obidient Movement also said Obi remains a member of the LP, adding further that if that were to change one day, the former Governor of Anambra State would make the declaration himself.
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