From Idu Jude Abuja
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Labour Party (LP) has no intention to partner with any political party, including the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) or its leaders.
The party made the clarification in a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in reaction to a video clip that has gone viral on the social media that LP was planning to prosecute the next general elections under alliance arrangement with other political parties.
Ifoh stated that leadership of the LP saw the video where a lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, “made a disparaging and slandering comment against the Labour Party and, particularly, the National Chairman, Julius Abure.
“My first response is to say that all that he said about the Labour Party is untrue, lies, and unfounded… The Labour Party is the most visible opposition party as of today, and our National Chairman, Barrister Abure, is the leading voice in the opposition camp and has been most critical of the present government.
“The 2023 general elections, where the Labour Party worked very hard to disrupt the status quo, has continued to interrogate the system’s failure and has been very visible playing the role of the opposition, continuously critiquing the policies, proffering solutions, and advising the government.”
Ifoh noted that LP has become the first party in Nigeria to deepen participatory democracy by the introduction of e-membership registration.
“We are therefore challenging Deji Adeyanju and any other like persons to come up with facts and proofs that either the party leadership or Mr. Abure has worked, is working, or intends to work for President Ahmed Bola Tinubu or his party, the APC in 2027.
“As a political party, we view Deji Adeyanju’s now-viral comments as criminal defamation, a motivated ploy to ridicule our hard-earned reputation. We are therefore calling on Mr Adeyanju, who ought to know the grave consequences of a defamatory act, to, without delay, provide facts and evidence to prove that the Labour Party has been ‘bought’ over by President Tinubu. “He also has a choice to withdraw his ill assertions and apologise to the leadership and millions of members of the Labour Party for the great harm he has caused the party.”