By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
ABEOKUTA: The opposition Labour Party (LP) under the leadership of Barr. Julius Abure in Nigeria has advised the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to honourably recuse itself from participating or fielding any candidate for the country’s next presidential election in 2027, declaring that the hitherto largest political party in Africa has lost both “direction and focus.”
Citing what it reckoned as the intractable leadership crisis plaguing the PDP, the fight that erupted at its headquarters in Abuja during a meeting of the party’s board of trustees (BoT) as both Samuel Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye continued to lay claim to the position of the national secretary and the allegation by the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, that the opposition leaders were given N50million each by the Government at the Centre to undermine democracy, the LP submitted that the umbrella party can no longer be expected to provide the much – needed leadership role in the country.
In a statement on Friday by the National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Abayomi Arabambi, the LP said if the PDP had not been able to put its house in order and work in unity since losing power in 2015 to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), it will also be quite difficult, if not impossible, for the embattled party to reclaim power in 2027 let alone summoning the requisite direction, focus and organisation to manage the affairs of Nigeria.
The advice comes on the heels of about eight governors under the aegis of the PDP Governors’ Forum’s meeting on Friday, January 31st in Asaba, the capital of oil bearing Delta State to deliberate on how to foster unity within the party ahead of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting convened by the Board of Trustees (BoT).
Governors from Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Plateau, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Osun, Taraba, and Zamfara states save Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State who sent in his Deputy Governor, were reportedly present at the Asaba meeting. The Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, was also present at the meeting hosted by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
Arabambi added that given the precarious situation of the opposition PDP today, it will be a deft move if the once ruling political party in Nigeria should heed the wise counsel, recuse itself from the next presidential election and join forces with the Labour Party and Mr Peter Obi to make a formidable Union capable of wresting power from the APC in 2027.
The LP Publicity Secretary said the advice became necessary and timely as the nation inches closer to another general elections circle so as to avert a repeat of what happened in 2023, when the PDP and LP went to the presidential election separately and lost to the APC instead of joining hands together as a single entity to upstage the ruling party.
He also advised Nigerians to ignore Atiku Abubakar’s allegation and not to blame the APC or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the crisis rocking the PDP, saying the challenges are self – inflicted.
He expressed the confidence that with the over six million votes garnered by the LP in 2023, there is hope that the party will pull winning votes in 2027 and more victory votes if the PDP aligned with LP ahead of the next presidential election.
“PDP is in a serious leadership crisis. They have not been able to put their house in order and how can they manage the affairs of the country? PDP should recuse itself from participating in the 2027 presidential election and support the Labour Party, and Mr Peter Obi to wrest power from the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“We don’t want what happened in 2023 to repeat itself in 2027 when the PDP and LP went separate ways to contest in that election and divided their votes. If they had worked together as one, their combined votes would have defeated the APC. We don’t want such to happen in 2027. Nigerians should not listen to Atiku Abubakar who is blaming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the ills of the PDP. The implosion is self – inflicted. Has Atiku been around to organise the party? He is not serious,” Arabambi stated.
