Coalition: Obi issued 48 hours to vacate Labour Party

From Sola Ojo, Abuja

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has received a 48-hour ultimatum to formally resign his membership of the Labour Party, having allegedly joined the coalition party.

This was contained in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the Barrister Julius Abure-led leadership of the party, Obiora Ifoh, on Thursday, July 3.

According to him, while the party reiterates its disinterest in joining the coalition, the coalition members are power mongers whose only interest is self and not the people.

The party warned Nigerians that the often-mouthed ‘new Nigeria is possible’ is a ruse and cannot be achieved with the assemblage of old, recycled, desperate, and frustrated politicians in the coalition.

They added that those who mismanaged Nigeria over the years are the ones who gathered themselves in the coalition, while noting that desperate politicians cannot build a new Nigeria.

“We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them have refused to defect with him.

“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition and therefore, any of our members who are part of the coalition are given within 48 hours to formally resign their membership of the party.

“Labour Party is not available for people with a dual agenda, people with a deceptive persona.

“The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one party and another leg elsewhere.

“People who claim to be in the Labour Party in the morning and are in coalition in the evening.

“Nearly 70 per cent of the Nigerian population are youths tired of the old order, tired of gerontocrats deciding their fate. The new Nigeria that the youths are dreaming of is not what can be realised from what we are seeing in the coalition.

“These people are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into the circle of power, people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.

“The new Nigeria of our dream can only be realised through the Labour Party, and the party is willing to lead Nigerians along that trajectory.

“I therefore urge all members of the party to remain loyal and keep the party structure intact ahead of future elections,” the statement read in part.