…Says party is about integrity, measurable performance

From Sola Ojo, Abuja

Deputy National Chairman of Labour Party  (LP), Dr. Ayo Olorunfemi,  has described the party  as one with divine protection, saying that “God is on our side, and we will not, for the sake of power, align ourselves with the kind of politics that others play. Labour Party is about selflessness, integrity, and measurable performance.”

He also said that with the exit of Peter Obi from LP, the party is now setting its sights on the 2027 presidential election, positioning former running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed as its likely standard-bearer.

According to him, discussions on how the popular socialite, Seun Kuti and his team could join the party as Ahmed’s running mate have reached an advanced stage, signaling the party’s determination to present a candidate committed to its “ideology” and a “transformative” vision for Nigeria.

Olorunfemi emphasised that the party remains steadfast against hijacking by opportunistic politicians, maintaining high benchmarks for governance and ideological consistency.

Excerpts:

Your unique selling point in 2023, Mr. Peter Obi, has finally left the party. How would your party cope without him?

That is his own problem. The Labour Party will never act out of desperation. As a party, we have our agenda, our own purpose, and our own values. This is not a do-or-die affair for us. We know exactly what we stand for.

Those of us in the Labour Party are here for a clear purpose, not because we want to grab power, not because we want popularity, and certainly not because we want to make Nigeria worse. We are here because we want to leave a lasting legacy. We want a Nigeria that everyone will be proud of not the kind of country people are tired of, where fear, frustration, and depression have become part of daily life.

That is why we believe in leaders like Baba Datti -Ahmed to champion this course. From his utterances, his actions, and his antecedents, it is clear that he is a serious and principled individual. He is an academic and a businessman of repute who has never been accused of defrauding anyone. He represents the kind of integrity and seriousness the Labour Party stands for. He is not a pretender, and he is not a hypocrite. Beyond that, he has vitality, sagacity, and strength. He is still a young man, energetic, focused, and confident. He does not engage in artificial displays of humility or pretentious behaviour just to impress people. Leadership is not about theatrics; it is about sincerity and purpose.

You know that Peter Obi took Labour Party to a height, never imagined before in that 2023 election. Could he have done so without some of these character traits you now see in Datti?

Let me be clear: humility is not about refusing help or pretending to be something you are not. If you truly understand Baba Datti- Ahmed, you will know that if you offer to help him, he will accept it. That shows trust. A person who cannot trust anyone around him is often driven by fear and insecurity, not humility. I am 62 years old, I have seen it all. I know genuine humility when I see it, just as I recognise arrogance and hidden intentions.

This is why I question those who suddenly turn against the Labour Party after benefiting from it. Why would anyone want to remove those who stood by him and fought for him, if not out of ingratitude? That same attitude reflects how such people conduct their businesses and political relationships.

Let them go where they belong. They are part of the same political class that ruined Nigeria in the first place, collectively handing the country over to the APC. Today, the APC has taken Nigeria to the brink, like a patient abandoned in a hospital and left waiting for death. But the Labour Party will not allow that to happen. Nigeria will rise again. Nigeria will become a healthy and normal nation once more. So, when they tell us the economy has been stabilised, we must ask: stabilised for whom? Before the APC came into power, the naira exchanged between N100 and N150 to the dollar for about 16 years. That was stability. Within just ten years, that stability has been destroyed. So, let us not deceive ourselves, Nigerians know the truth.

If the dollar comes down, let us say to about N200 and something, and it stays there for a reasonable period, then we can begin to talk about stability. What they are calling stability today is simply the stability of suffering.

So, if Datti Baba-Ahmed eventually emerges as your standard bearer, who is likely going to be his running mate?

The election process would still take place because in Labour Party, there is no automatic ticket for anyone, all the processes will take place. Meanwhile, Seun Kuti and his team are also coming to the Labour Party and he may serve as running mate to Datti Baba-Ahmed. We are discussing.

So, we are determined to present a candidate with the capacity to turn the economy around for good. This is someone who does not take from the system, but gives to it. Someone driven by selflessness. That is what rescuing Nigeria’s economy truly requires. We are assessing people based on their antecedents. Some individuals come forward, but the moment their names are mentioned, issues arise, this one did this, that one did that. Before you even take it to the public, there is already a credibility problem. So, we are allowing people to come. When we see those who truly align with our values, even if they are just three, we will have a clean and transparent contest among them.

As it is, only Governor Alex Otti of Abia State and a few elected politicians are still in the party. We know there is still room before primary elections,  before the end of 2026.What does his membership mean to the party?

Yes, it is true that some of them have defected to other parties. However,we still gained some members in recent times and we hope to gain more in days to come by the grace of God.

Regarding the governor in question, the state government has not been serious. As it stands, he is under suspension. Unless he returns to the party, apologises, and the party decides to lift the suspension, it remains indefinite.

When someone is suspended and comes back humbly to seek forgiveness, the party can consider reconciliation. But what we are seeing instead is arrogance, someone who now believes that because he controls state resources, he owns the Labour Party. This is someone who once came to us, pleading for a ticket, because he did not have the means. Now, sitting on state funds, he wants to be bigger than the party that gave him the platform. That is unacceptable. No elected official is bigger than the political party.

To ordinary Nigerians, any government that delivers basic services may be seen as performing. But for Labour Party, that is below our standard. Our measure of performance is higher. If you want to see what true Labour Party governance looks like, look at the tenure of Olusegun Mimiko in Ondo State. No government or governor in Ondo State has surpassed his achievements, and his signature projects remain visible across the state. Current governments there acknowledge this, they often say they cannot match Mimiko’s record.

The same principle applies in Abia. Years of poor governance there mean that someone delivering even basic progress may appear impressive but that does not meet the benchmark we set for ourselves. To truly excel, one must embrace the principles and ethos of the Labour Party.

As for certain politicians, there are some who are skilled at deceiving people. They are arrogant, believe nothing can succeed without them, and often rely on underhanded methods to maintain power. These individuals do not rise through hard work or merit but through manipulation and crooked means. Labour Party does not tolerate such behavior.

Regarding strong elected members, Labour Party still has credible representation across the country. We have members in the House of Representatives and State Assemblies in Lagos, Delta, the Federal Capital Territory, and elsewhere. These are politicians who genuinely embrace our ideology and principles. By the next election, Nigerians will clearly see which political party they can truly trust. And that is the essence of Labour Party. We have resisted hijacking by opportunistic politicians. Thank God, among our elected officials are people who genuinely believe in the ideology of Labour Party. One of them even said that, whether he was re-elected or not, he would remain committed to the party’s principles. That kind of loyalty is the foundation of our strength. God is on our side. We will not, for the sake of power, align ourselves with evil the way others do. I am a child of God, and we have many committed children of God within the party. In fact, among the National Working Committee (NWC), I can count four serious God-fearing individuals who guide us with their faith and integrity.

So, where are you on the issue of parallel leadership after in and out of courts? How sure are you that INEC will recognise the outcome of you primaries under  Barrister Julius Abure leadership?

There is nothing like factional leadership in Labour Party. Journalists should know that Abure is the only national chairman of the party. For example, who presented candidates for elections in Ekiti, Anambra and Edo to INEC? Is it not Abure? Has any other person presented any? Even the so called caretaker has since been dissolved.

Is Barrister Abure planning to contest?

I am not aware of that. That will be his personal decision. But for now, I’m not aware.