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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Labour Party governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Splendor Eze-Oko, has argued that the feat of the party in the presidential and National Assembly contests would be replicated during the gubernatorial race slated on March 11.
Eze-Oko, at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, added that the participation of the standard bearer of the party, Peter Obi, in the race has changed the dynamics of politics in the country, for the better.
He said: “If you look at what happened in the presidential race, you will discover that Labour Party has taken over. Labour Party is the number one party in the country now.
“I am not confident with what happened because I know that His Excellency Peter Obi is supposed to be the number one because Nigerians voted enmasse for him.
“I still believe that when justice is done, he is going to emerge as number one instead of number three. I also believe that Ebonyi people massively voted for him and he got very reasonable votes in the state.
“I know that on the 11 of March, we will consolidate on what we did during the presidential election.
“Mr Peter Obi has actually changed the narrative unlike what we used to have in the political space. The people have actually taken over because of the emergence of Peter Obi.
“Peter Obi is God-sent. It is no longer business as usual. The people have risen and they want to take back their country. And I am fully in support because the country belongs to the masses. It does not belong to very few individuals.
“When the people take back their country, the country will be better for all.”
On how his mandate was restored, the former chairman of the party in Ebonyi State, explained that, “On the 9th of June 2022, INEC brought their guidelines for the country to conduct primaries.
“Then I was the Chairman of Labour Party in Ebonyi State that conducted the primary. That period, political gladiators did not see any future in Labour Party. All of them were either in APC or PDP.
“So, I took the responsibility to revive labour party. It was not easy because when I was reviving labour party, nobody believed in the party.
“I invested so much of my strength. As God may have it, I was able to conduct a very free and fair primary that saw the emergence of candidates and during that period, my people saw the leadership quality in me and insisted that I had to go in for the governorship position. I was unanimously voted in.
“INEC official monitored the exercise and then had their report and it came to my favour. Surprisingly, after INEC published my name, some persons thought I was too young to contest.
“They started struggling and the substitution primary was conducted without my concern. I went to court and it ruled in my favour that my signature was forged. The court nullified the primary.
“The supreme court affirmed that I am the governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP). So, I am grateful of the role the judiciary is playing in the country.
“And I want to say that the judiciary has proven to be the last hope of the common man. And I want to say that Ebonyi people are rejoicing of the judgement because this is the judgement of the people. It is not even my judgement alone but for Ebonyi people.
“Ebonyi people have been yearning for a leadership that will work for the youths. I want to categorically tell Ebonyi people that I am coming to serve them and not be a tyrant,” he said.
He added: “I am promising the youths of Ebony State that the solidarity they have shown so far upon my life, I am going to reciprocate it.
“This government if we are finally sworn in, it would be government of the people, for the people and by the people.”
