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From Idu Jude, Abuja
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe said the Labour Party (LP) is prepared to sweep all elections in Abia State in the 2027 general elections.
Senator Abaribe further stated that the state has a strong chance of achieving this and has demonstrated its capacity through pro-people development projects.
The senator representing Abia South Senatorial Zone led other Abia State Labour Party aspirants to the headquarters for the screening exercise.
He said the state governor has given the people the desired representation and dividends of democracy.
“We are here to be screened as constituents, and we trust the judgment of the screening committee, whose job is to select able, qualified candidates.
“The state is for the Labour Party, and the Labour Party is Abia State. And having said this, I would like to state here that the party will win all elections, beginning with the governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and State Assembly.”
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the party, Senator Nenadi Usman, commended the ongoing exercise and said the process has been wonderful.
“I’m happy that it’s a very wonderful exercise.”
Responding to the issue of numerous aspirants trooping in to obtain LP nomination forms, Senator Nenadi said it is a sign of good things coming to the party. She dismissed suggestions that the Labour Party is a dumping ground for rejected politicians.
“I don’t feel so because, judging from the number of people indicating interest in using the party as a platform to contest the election, I think the party is still strong.”
On the fake LP nomination forms in circulation, she said, “Well, we received the news, you know, surprisingly. It was a big surprise because if the court had said his tenure was over, and we went to the Umuahia convention, and new leaders were elected, and the INEC recognised what we did.
“And till today, those names on the website of INEC are the leaders of the party who were elected in Umuahia.
“So I wondered then how he was distributing free forms to people, and, based on that, I don’t know what to say.”
On the former party chairman’s Supreme Court case, the senator said, “Well, we are yet to be served that he went to the Supreme Court. We don’t know about it yet.
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Senator Nenadi further said her leadership has contacted INEC and other security agencies over the fake nomination forms allegedly being distributed by Julius Abure.
“When it’s very illegal, and we have written a petition to the police. We’ve reported to the IGP, and we’ve reported to the DG SSS.
She expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will maintain its stance.
“For example, if my tenure is over tomorrow, they say my tenure is over, and instead of going, I say no, that it’s not yet over.
“So, I urge the Supreme Court to maintain that the tenure is over as they had judged.”
Also speaking, Honourable Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, who was also among the Abia State aspirants, said, “I’m very confident that we will come out on top. I’m sure you’re very aware that there might be a sequence that no one actually procured to run against me in the Aba South and North Federal Constituency. And the reason for this is simply because we have performed well and also because of the way that our party tends to conduct its political activities.”
Hon. Mascot expressed special thanks to the leader of the party, Dr Alex Chioma Otti, the governor of Abia State, whom he said had performed exceptionally well.
“You can see the Labour Party is on the rise. You can see that Abia is on the rise. So I’m confident that on the 30th of May, when the primaries will eventually be conducted, we are going to emerge victorious since it’s very apparent that no one else has procured the nomination form to run against us.
On direct primaries, Hon. Ikwechegh said, “If stakeholders come together and say we are willing to align with the person that is already in power or the incumbent or the person that they feel is most competent, I mean, the consensus primary is basically like a gentleman’s arrangement. It has been adopted in the Electoral Act. The direct primaries have also been adopted. However, for a peaceful party, for stakeholders, because it so happened that stakeholders are the ones to come together and the party faithful to say, this is the candidate who we believe has the most opportunity to win the election.
“And this is the person that we’re going to put forth. And I believe that is what has happened in Abia, where stakeholders have all come together to say, we’re going to align with this person that the party has selected.”
Deputy Chairman, Committee on FCT Judiciary, Hon. Ibe Okwara Osonwa, said Abia, as a state, does not want rancour.
He said nobody is blind to what is happening across the country with the ruling party and the confusion that exists, but that the magnanimity and statesmanship of the government demand that peace, unity and interaction among the people must prevail.
“So, all stakeholders were brought together. We discussed each area and we agreed that this person, that person, that person serves the best interest of the territory. And that’s how we worked it. Based on what we just observed in the couple of days happening in the ruling APC primaries, we are expecting a drop.
“When agreement, consensus, brotherhood and unity are not looked upon as important factors of action, when that isn’t done, inevitably, you would have rancour and that is what is happening now. So maybe they should have taken a leaf from our book and tried to dialogue with the people.”
The Labour Party aspirants’ screening exercise continues today for House of Representatives aspirants. The exercise ends on May 30 in line with the rescheduled date.
