By Daniel Kanu
At last, the Supreme Court ruling may have finally rested legally the leadership tussle that had held down the Labour Party (LP).
The apex court in its latest judgment on April 4, described as lacking in merit the cross appeal brought before it by the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party and, therefore, dismissed the appeal.
In a unanimous judgment, the five-member panel of the apex court held that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to have pronounced Abure national chairman of the LP, after finding out earlier that the substance of the case was about the party’s leadership.
The ruling allowed the appeal filed by Senator Nenadi Usman, declaring it meritorious while dismissing the cross-appeal by the Abure faction.
In all, the simple interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling was the recognition of Senator Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee as the authentic leadership of the LP.
For lovers of the party, the verdict was seen as a victory for the rule of law and a significant milestone for democracy.
Perhaps the next great challenge facing the party will be how to unite the members again and then move the party forward.
For many keen observers, this is not a time for triumphalism between any of the groups, but a time for the party to get united in purpose and vision.
Analysts say that it will be total folly for the LP smarting from a deep crisis to continue to boast that it remains one indivisible family, steadfast in its mission to create a New Nigeria founded on justice, equity, and people-centred governance, if it does not confront or outsmart the traps already laid on its path by the ruling APC for its failure in 2027.
Political commentators say it will be incumbent on the party to organize a new convention where everyone will participate, so as to return hope and confidence back to the party.
There appears to be danger and stagnation ahead of the LP if it does not start campaigning for inclusiveness across bridges and build a party without crisis.
What is also important, according to observers, is the moles in LP, and the ability of its leadership to apply discipline.
A top member of the LP, who preferred anonymity told Sunday Sun that “the political struggle for power in our party have destroyed the hope that LP represents in the minds of the people.
“Labour Party supremacy and love of emancipation of the people at this critical point in time should have superseded every personal interest.
“Today as we speak LP can’t present party agents in all the polling units in Nigeria. What happened last time will be child’s play in next election.
‘The ordinary party members are demoralized to the extent of refusing to participate in party affairs.”
Now that the coast seems to be cleared for the LP, it is uncertain whether the party will be part of the emerging move for a coalition that will give the ruling APC a run for its money.
The truth is that Nigeria’s coalition of political parties has always been a rollercoaster, with moments of promise and periods of disappointment.
The concept of coalition politics, where different parties come together to achieve a common goal, has been touted as a means to challenge the dominant parties and bring about change.
However, the success of such coalitions in Nigeria has been varied.
The challenge is now that the LP is getting its political direction given the Supreme Court ruling, will the party join the coalition being initiated?
So far, the coalition against President Bola Tinubu in 2027 appears to be gathering momentum.
Sunday Sun gathered that the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) elements in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and in the PDP, as well as some ACN, Action Congress of Nigeria) group like Rauf Aregbesola, are among members that are proposing an Atiku/Obi ticket to challenge Tinubu.
Both Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi contested the 2023 presidential election on different political platforms, the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party respectively, and came second and third respectively.
But that 2023 presidential election result has remained challenged in the minds of most Nigerians despite the Supreme Court ruling on it.
For instance, Chief Martin Onovo, the 2015 presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party, NCP, boldly told Sunday Sun that Peter Obi won the election.
“”I challenge the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to provide the Ward results of all the polling units. Why are they finding it difficult to make it public? What they declared was a fraudulent result that never represented the true voting exercise. Peter Obi won the election. Simple,” the engineer insisted.
For Onovo, there is urgent need for coalition, stressing that Tinubu is not as tough as some people think.
“Anything founded on wrong foundation, falsehood is weak and cannot stand.
“Coalition is a good way to go. The masses have always demonstrated the power of mass struggles and collective action. These movements show that when Nigerians come together around a common cause, they can bring about significant change,” he said.
Atiku/Obi joint ticket in 2019 gave APC sleepless nights, although the party’s candidate, former President Muhammadu Buhari, was later declared winner, he pointed out.
Sunday Sun gathered that the calculation is that, “the bulk of the votes comes from the North, and the easiest way to rally the northern bloc is to present one of them as a candidate.
That, it was learnt is the calculation of the CPC bloc led by former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai.
Although, el-Rufai had some weeks ago stated that the ticket in 2027 should remain in the South, sources said the CPC bloc was convinced that an Atiku/ Obi ticket will kick out President Tinubu in 2027.
They are banking on support from the Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, parts of South-south and the North-central.
“Once you have that power in your hand, you can begin to talk about zoning. Without power, zoning is immaterial. That is the thinking. Let’s see what we have to do to have this power, then we can begin to talk about North and South.
“It may be difficult to have a southerner to challenge Tinubu; it will be victory to the president”, said a source in the Atiku camp.
The plan, it was gathered, is for Atiku to do one term and support Obi to become president in 2031.
It was learnt that the opposition leaders are planning a merger conference after the Ramadan Sallah or the Easter celebrations.
While some political leaders are also considering the SDP opposition option, there are still some among them who believe that the SDP is not the final destination.
The National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Ladipo Johnson, told Sunday Sun that opposition parties must unite to challenge the APC in the 2027 general election.
He emphasised the need for a strong alliance to counter the APC’s dominance.
Political watchers contend that the Supreme Court judgement that recognised Senator Usman-led Caretaker Committee as the authentic leadership of the Labour Party, may alter the political calculation.
Whether Obi will agree to leave the LP remains uncertain until after the merger conference
Now that the Supreme Court has returned the platform to him, it is doubtful he may want to leave, more so with the ready support of the Obidient Movement and the preparedness of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to work with him.
Sunday Sun gathered that Obi believes he cannot betray the trust reposed in him by his supporters as they don’t want him to be a running mate to anyone.
It is likely that the planned summit will decide the direction of the coalition and Obi’s decision on his next line of action.
Dr Ossai Edmund Ossai, university lecturer and public commentator told Sunday Sun that coalition politics in Nigeria has had mixed results.
He said while there have been challenges, there have also been notable successes.
Ossai said by learning from past experiences and building strong alliances, coalitions can become a powerful force in Nigerian politics.
The activist said to succeed, coalition politics in Nigeria must focus on building strong alliances around shared ideologies and goals.
This, according to him, requires ‘”ideological alignment as members must share a common vision and values.
“Strong leadership that is effective where leaders can help unite coalition members and drive the coalition’s agenda.
“Grassroots support that must engage with and mobilize grassroots supporters to build momentum.”
Only time will tell if the emerging opposition and alliances can effectively challenge the ruling party and bring about meaningful change.
It is obvious that emerging political scenario on coalition, alliances or merger will decide the next political direction of the LP and Obi, who is seen to be a beautiful bride.