We’ve had numerous threats to life, accusations and harassment – LP National Chairman

The National Chairman of the Labour Party, (LP) at a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja barred his mind on issues, affecting the party and the forthcoming Edo State Governorship election. Tom Okpe was there for the Daily Times

Edo Gubernatorial election forms are on sales by your party, how are you handling it?

The party’s National Working Committee, (NWC) met, considered all the variable, put all the factors together before arriving at that cost. The party needs a lot of funds in order to drive the electioneering process.

No matter how you conduct the primary, even after the elections, litigations are going to arise from whatever you do and those litigations cost a lot of money. Even organizing the primary is costly. When the party was not as big as this, you could explain to the people that you don’t have money to give but today, people believe that we have money. If you send anybody for any assignment, you must pay them adequately. Also in this party, a lot of members of political parties don’t pay dues.

People don’t pay dues, people don’t support political parties. The only source of funding for this party as it stands now, is through the sale of nomination forms.

Funding the party, responding to the challenges in the party makes it imperative for us to arrive at that amount. I also want to say that it is about the cheapest within the political parties. We believe that we must be able to draw a line between our philosophy and the reality on ground.

What are the challenges, confronting the party at moment as one of the opposition in the country?

After the general meeting in 2023, the party and myself, as the National Chairman, have been faced with several challenges and in some occasions, threat to life and other numerous accusations and harassment. We have seen situations in the party where some people were sponsored to cause chaos and disharmony in the party. We are however not discouraged with some of these challenges because we strongly believe that freedom doesn’t come easy.

Freedom fighters face a lot of challenges. The struggle for a new Nigeria is really challenging. The struggle for a new country that will change the statusquo, isn’t going to be an easy one.

You were accused of replacing some members in the party favoured candidates, what’s your reaction to this?

No candidate of the party was illegally substituted. No persons signature was forged. Those people who were making those allegations are procured by our adversaries, those who are afraid of the fortunes of the party and are therefore, working to disorganize the party.

How about the forthcoming Edo State Guber election, is your party prepared for the challenges ahead?

The challenges we have in the country is poor leadership and the parties that are responsible for giving us poor leaders over the years is PDP and APC. If we have challenges that has to do with poor leadership, then I put the blame squarely on the table of those two political parties who have been responsible for giving us leaders.

I believe very strongly that when parties lack internal party democracy, where there is no competition, transparency, and accountability, the best can never emerge. Now that I have the privilege, as the national chairman of this party, I cannot be seen doing less than what I believe in. I therefore want to assure the people of Edo, that the Labour Party primaries will be transparent, will be competitive.

Members of the party will determine who becomes the gubernatorial candidate of the party. I am also saying this against the backdrop that there are accusations that I am aligning with the Governor to bring a weak candidate, an unpopular candidate, that we have been bribed to shortchange the party. You all know the history of the party, when the party was a transitional party.

Today, the party is a major opposition party in Nigeria. I can say clearly that we are the only opposition party in Nigeria and our Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi has said it clearly, that we will play the role of opposition effectively.

So, having this opportunity that history has been placed on our hands, having this opportunity of leading this party at this time, especially at a time when Nigeria was at a cross road, where nothing is working in the country, we cannot compromise integrity of our party. I cannot shortchange my party, I cannot do any dis-service to the party. I will remain a worthy, credible ambassador of the party.

I will always want to put myself in a position where I will speak the truth at all times.
Where I can be in a position to make decisions that will be in the best interest of the party. Today, the party has become a major force in Edo and we have the opportunity to be able to produce a Governor in the State.

I say this very clearly, because the indicators are clear. You will agree with me that Edo is an Obedient State and I am equally from that State. So, it is my determination and desire to ensure that we have credible, intelligent, result oriented, vibrant goal getter, who will become the Governor of Edo State in the near future.

In Edo who have been so unfortunate to have Governors who didn’t have the passion and commitment to work for the State. Even during the military era, Edo people were unfortunate to have Governors posted to Edo who were not indigenes of the State. They didn’t care about developing the State.

Unfortunately, when democracy returned, we also had Governors who were not interested in the growth and development of the State. Today, Edo people are determined and desirous and looking up to the LP to give them a viable, strong and result oriented Governor who can change the political trajectory of the State. So, I will never compromise the interest and interest of the party in Edo state.

In some quarters, its insinuated that your party nomination rate is high, is that so?

In this party and others, a lot of members don’t pay dues. People don’t pay dues, people don’t support political parties. The only source of funding for this party as it stands now, is through the sale of nomination forms. Funding the party, responding to the challenges in the party makes it imperative for us to arrive at that amount. I also want to say that our party’s nomination forms is about the cheapest within the political parties.

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We believe that we must be able to draw a line between our philosophy and the reality on ground. Election is expensive in Nigeria. We believe that, candidates that are not able to afford nomination forms may not be able to conclude the process of electioneering.