The 2023 general elections have been like none other since the return of democracy in 1999 with the Labour Party’s emergence as a third political party with the potential to disrupt the influence of the APC and PDP.
The Peter Obi-fuelled LP took 12 states at the presidential election of Feb. 25 as did the APC, the declared winner. It seized Abuja and Lagos, threatened Rivers and Kaduna, and amassed over 6 million votes, according to INEC. The party has rejected the outcome and says results were doctored to deny it victory.
While the court examines that claim, the two bigger parties are eventually giving the LP and its Obidient structure attention ahead of the governorship elections on Saturday. Governors are appealing for support from the party’s voting bloc and non-LP candidates are seeking endorsement, apparently, to tap from the new LP’s huge voting base.
The Labour Party has punished officials declaring support for other parties and its national chairman Julius Abure ruled out alliances. “We want to state categorically and unequivocally that the national secretariat of LP has not given any instructions for any chapter of the party to liaise or support any candidate except LP candidates in this Saturday’s polls,” he said in a March 7 statement.
That hasn’t deterred other parties from announcing LP support for the March 18 state elections. Many seem false. A spokesperson for the party, Yunusa Tanko, did not respond to calls from Pluboard seeking comments on Friday.
Here are examples of reported endorsements and how the party has responded:
Nasarawa
In Nasarawa, the News Agency of Nigeria reported on Tuesday that a faction of the LP declared support for incumbent Gov Abdullahi Sule. The north-central state was one of Labour’s scoops in the presidential elections.
The agency reported that the LP faction led by Angba Kuje, the party’s House of Representative candidate for Wamba/Akwanga/Nassarawa-Eggon constituency, rejected the alleged endorsement of the PDP governorship candidate, David Ombugadu, by the LP candidate, Joseph Ewuga.
Later, the state chairman of Labour Party, Alexander Ombugu, dismissed the endorsement of Governor Sule by the group, saying the party’s governorship candidate, Mr Ewuga, had withdrawn from the race and had declared support for the PDP candidate, Mr Ombugadu.
Cross River
In Cross River, NAN reported that the “Obidients” had declared support for Wilfred Bonse, the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The announcement was made by Samuel Elijah, reported by NAN to be the leader of the Obidient group and “chairman of chairmen” for Calabar South.
“We’ve come to support a young man that has a great future for this nation, Calabar and the whole of Cross River,” he was quoted as saying.
The announcement came days after the candidate of the PDP, Sandy Onoh, had reported securing the endorsement of Mr Obi, according to NAN.
The PDP in the state claimed Mr Obi’s endorsement of Mr Onoh, a senator, attested to the candidate’s pedigree as a man of the people.
The report quoted Mr Obi as speaking on an unnamed local television station, where he said that the LP would partner with some governorship candidates in some states for the polls.
“There are some states where my Party, LP, doesn’t have candidates and we are partnering with some good candidates in those states to ensure victory for them.
“We have good candidates in Lagos, Delta, Plateau, Nasarawa, Enugu, Abia, and a few others, but in Cross River, we have agreed to align with the PDP and its candidate, Prof. Sandy Onor.
“He is a very good candidate who enjoys strong support from the people.
“I urge all ‘Obidients’ in Cross River to support and cast their votes for Prof. Onor, who is a current senator,’’ he was quoted as saying.
Pluboard could not confirm that report.
The news agency quoted Venatius Ikem, PDP chairman in the state, as concluding that: “With this endorsement of the ‘Obidient Movement’ phenomenal leader, we can now sleep with our two eyes closed knowing that the issue of governorship has been settled. It is a great day indeed.”
Separately, the APC in the state had also endorsed Brian Odey, candidate of the Labour Party for Yala 1 state assembly polls.
Alphonsus Eba, the APC chairman in Cross River, said the endorsement of the LP candidate followed the supreme court’s judgment nullifying the candidacy of Regina Anyogo, who was the APC candidate.
Enugu
In Enugu, Kennedy Iyere, reported by NAN as a “founding member of the Obi Movement” announced the support of the group for the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Peter Mbah.
Mr Iyere said he acted because Peter Obi urged his supporters to back anybody with character and competence.
“The potential that you have, has compelled the Obidients to come to you. You are going to be the next governor of this state because you have all it takes to lead the state well,” he was quoted as saying.
“The competence that spoke for Peter Obi is now speaking for Peter Mbah. The capacity that speaks for Peter Obi also speaks for Peter Mbah. Peter Obi built Fidelity Bank. He also built Next Cash and Carry.
“Peter Obi became a movement because we saw beauty in him that the PDP didn’t see. The same beauty we have seen in Mbah, we are telling Enugu State people to see.
“What you can give to the Obidients movement is good governance when you become governor of this state,” he said.
Kwara
In Kwara, Labour Party swiftly suspended its governorship candidate, Basambo Abubakar, after he announced support for the candidate of the PDP, Shuaib Abdullahi.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, Kehinde Rotimi, the Kwara LP chairman, said the party had not joined forces with any party for the governorship and state assembly polls billed for Saturday.
Mr Rotimi said Mr Abubakar had no authority to announce the alignment of the LP with another party. He called on supporters of the party to vote for the state assembly candidates of the party.
“We are here to set the record straight. Labour Party is a political party with ideology, based on social justice and equality. Labour Party had not adopted candidacy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Shuaib Abdulahi, as said by Basambo Abubakar,” he said.
“He has no such authority to issue such statement on behalf of the party. We are in a very sober mood right now, because of our presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, who was massively voted for by Nigerians, but Nigerian system came into being as usual.
“Currently, he is challenging the result of the election in court. So, it is morally wrong for us to come out and say we are adopting another party for governorship election against the wish of our presidential candidate.”
Rivers
On March 7, the Labour Party announced the dissolution of its state executive council in Rivers state after the council led by Deinye Pepple announced that Labour Party had endorsed the governorship candidate of the PDP, Siminialayi Fubara.
The national chairman of the party, Mr Abure, accused the council of anti-party activities and corruption. “Those who were at the helm of affairs in Rivers State when our presidential mandate was openly stolen in Rivers State should step aside until full investigation is completed on what happened on that day,” he said in the statement.
Mr Abure asked the party’s supporters to work for the victory of Beatrice Itubo, the party’s governorship candidate.
Kaduna
The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Kaduna, Jonathan Asake, said on Thursday he would not step down for the PDP candidate after speculations both parties were working in an alliance against the APC.
Mr Asake told journalists the allegation that he collected N100 million from Uba Sani, APC candidate and Gov. Nasir el-Rufai to damage PDP’s chances on Saturday was false.
“They are poisoning people’s mind that I am being sponsored by Uba Sani so that the votes of Southern Kaduna will be split and Uba Sani will win,” he was quoted by NAN as saying.
“None of the leaders of the PDP could face me and ask for a round table, instead they resorted to using proxies to get me to step down,” he said
The LP candidate said as one of the biggest critics of the APC-led government in the state, he could never go into any political deal with Mr MSani and Mr El-Rufai.
“All these, of course are lies. I have never and will never sit with Uba Sani and Nasir el-Rufai for any kind of political deal,” he said.
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