Labour Party names presidential campaign council of 1,234 members

The Labour Party has announced 1,234 members into its Presidential Campaign Council. It is headed by an Assistant Inspector General of Police (rtd.), Mohammed Zarewa, as chairman.

Former presidential spokesman, Dr Doyin Okupe is the Director General, while Clement Ojukwu and Yunusa Tanko are the secretary and spokesperson respectively.

At a media session on Wednesday, Okupe explained that the council is made up of directorates, each headed by a director.

Okupe expressed optimism that the Labour Party’s residential candidate, Mr Peter Obi had at least 15 million voters “in the bag,” while 80 percent of new voters were his supporters.

According to him, about 60 percent of Nigeria’s 38 million social media users were registered to vote, adding that 50 percent of the figure are ‘Obidients’, the moniker for Obi supporters.

Okupe described the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as expired commodities with defective structures.

He said if there was a strict pre-qualification process, both the APC and PDP presidential candidates would have been disqualified from the start of the presidential race.

While describing the process that produced presidential candidates of both the APC and PDP as flawed, Okupe said the youth would decide the future of the country.

Okupe said,: “I am not talking about the dubious nature of educational records, nor even allegations of foreign court certified criminal narcotic records , nor any basis of poor health, and not even of falsified or advanced age but I refer to the fundamental parameters of competence and character, where none of these other known candidates, measure up in any way to the sterling qualities of Peter Obi and Dr Yusuf Datti-Ahmed.

“Similarly, on the considerations of true nationalism, geographical equity and fairness of ticket, none of them come close.

“The PDP candidate is a product of an unjust and dishonourable process that clearly violates the equitable rights of the entire southern Nigeria and the desire for balance in presidential power, already enshrined in the constitution and history of that party which was shamelessly subverted by subterfuge, and indeed anything built on injustice , ungodliness and evil conspiracy, can never stand.

“As for the APC, the presidential candidacy is fundamentally flawed through the adoption of a skewed and insensitive muslim-muslim ticket, despite all objections across religious lines in a highly religiously sensitive country like Nigeria and at a time were all reason, calls for maturity , fairness, equity, justice and balance for the good of the country.

“Nigerian youth, by this new, unprecedented demonstration of political vibrancy, have signaled to the failing and fading established political order, and transactional political class, that they are tired of the leadership failure that has brought Nigeria, the giant of Africa, to her knees today.

“The arrogant, corrupt and clearly selfish practices of this old order politicians and their parties, who believe they can always buy their way into power, and always compromise every institution, have now been spotlighted and stand totally rejected by this new class of Nigerian voters.

“The large crowds of highly disciplined, self organised, self-funded, self-motivated and clearly trans-ethnic-politico-religious groups and vocal associations of youths simultaneously calling for a new political culture and new leadership personae, across all the country’s political regions, in a sustained, orderly but insistent manner, is a clear call and warning to us as a country to sit up, shape up and do what is right, before it becomes too late”.

He called on security agencies to stand tall against all nefarious political practices, and vile tendencies, that may want to sabotage the peace and progressive march of the country.

Okupe said the 2023 general elections presented the biggest test for the Independent National Electoral Commission, maintaining that the commission had no choice,= but to act as a fair, impartial, fearless and patriotic umpire.

Okupe said: “The notorious practice of compromising the system with corrupt inducement and money politics and the manipulation of the regulatory and security agencies, is no longer the norm and will be hard to fly in these elections.

“Already, we have seen earlier this year, in this very dispensation, how corrupt money politics and evil political conspiracies have destroyed unity, peace and cohesion and stifled healthy democratic determination in the internal structures of political parties, leading to heightened tensions and political disaffection.

“But we cannot allow these unhealthy practices to continue to truncate the destiny of our nation. As leaders who profess love for the country and the people we aspire to lead, we must resolve to put a stop to these practices, this time and commit to playing fairly by the rules.

“To the vast Nigerian majority who are wallowing in the unmerited poverty and sordid deprivations that decades of poor leadership has foisted on our country, the coming 2023 election offers you a great chance to use your vote to turn around the situation”.