From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
At the mention of Peter Obi in any gathering, a thunderous applause follows. This love is what the Labour Party has enjoyed since Obi emerged its Presidential standard bearer, having dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But beyond the public flaunt of affection and a swelling fan base, the party is embroiled in internal crises in some states which may blur its victory chances if not quickly and amicably resolved.
Daily Sun learnt that about 22 state chapters of the party out of the country’s 36 states are having one problem or the other; though the chieftains of the party insist the wrangling will not affect its chances of winning the 2023 general elections.
But political analysts feel otherwise. They argue that a party plotting to unseat the two existing heavyweights: the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP should not be trapped in its own web of controversies, especially with the 2023 general elections around the corner.
The internal squabbles border on leadership tussle, allegations of corruption and anti-party activities among some officials of the party and how the presidential campaign team is constituted.
Previously, quiet forces in the LP have abandoned unity in order to raise their voices and stretch their muscles in response to perceived injustices.
For starters, the National Youth Leader of the LP, Mr Eragbe Anslem, was recently suspended by the national executives over alleged abuse of office. But Anselm fiercely challenged the decision, which he declared as misplaced, illegal, null and void and asked to be immediately recalled.
While that simmered, the national chairman of the party, Julius Abure, has also been in the midst of a tempest. He came under attacks by aggrieved members of the party led by the suspended National Publicity Secretary, Arabambi Abayomi, but declared the development as mere distractions, insisting the allegations were baseless and unfounded.
“I have a lot of work to do and I will not take my eyes off the ball. These things are distractions. As a journalist, go and study those documents to find out anywhere my name was mentioned”, he said.
The LP’s political climate in Ogun State is neither cherry nor bright.
The party leadership, after its last National Working Committee (NWC) meeting recently, dissolved the State’s exco, led by the Chairman, Michael Ashade, over allegations of corruption and anti-party activities.
Their suspension followed a resolution made and adopted by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) after a two-hour meeting held in Abuja. The party has also announced the constitution of a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party in Ogun State pending the logical conclusion of investigations.
Before then, the former exco suspended the membership of Doyin Okupe, who they said lost his membership rights having failed to pay his membership dues for six months as prescribed by the party’s constitution.
The National Secretary of LP, Umar Farouk, at a recent media briefing, disclosed that a disciplinary committee has been constituted to investigate the activities of the affected members.
“The acting National Publicity Secretary has been suspended after investigating his anti-party activities as a member of the party. The Labour Party chapter in Ogun State has also been dissolved.
“The Chairman and his excos have also been suspended. A caretaker committee will take care of the party. Also, a disciplinary committee has been set up to investigate their anti-party activities and report to the NWC”, he explained.
Farouk, however, described the allegations leveled against the national chairman as baseless, noting; “the NWC has also unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the National Chairman, Julius Abure.
“We also call on the general public to have more confidence in the party. We anticipated these kinds of issues would be coming up but the leadership of the party is working very hard to ensure that we are not distracted.
“It is normal to have disagreements over certain issues. This is not limited to the Labour Party alone. Don’t forget these are people from different backgrounds and political ideologies coming together to form a common front to right the wrongs in the country”, he added.
The aggrieved party executives of Ogun State had also demanded the immediate dissolution of the entire party’s Presidential Campaign Council, over alleged lopsidedness in its composition, stressing that the composition of its PCC did not reflect the federal character, unlike what was contained in the constitution of the party.
In Lagos State, Ifagbemi Awamaridi, who was the Labour Party Chairman and Governorship candidate in the 2019 election, has been replaced in a primary election with Gbadebor Rhodes-Vivour. The matter is in court.
In Rivers State, it was learnt that some individuals and groups are in fisticuffs over an unclear collaboration between the governor and Mr Peter Obi. They insist whatever deal Obi cut with Wike must be unclad to ensure it does not hurt LP’s chances in the state.
There is also trouble in the LP Nasarawa State chapter, as the party’s governorship candidate, Joseph Ewuga, has accused the state chairman, Alexander Emmanuel of anti-party activities by working for the ruling APC in the state.
There is evident unrest in Enugu as some irate LP members have taken the party to court after being excluded from its governorship primary despite having obtained the nomination form.
Kano State also has its fair share of crisis as allegations of the party’s leadership working for the ruling party, the APC, in the state are rife.
In Adamawa State, some members of the LP executives passed a vote of no confidence on the state chairman of the party, Christopher Nicholas, accusing him of “collaborating with other political parties against the interest of our major candidates in the Labour Party”.
With this litany of crises jolting the LP, many observers say the storm may wreck the Obi-Datti ship if not returned to the shore of hope.
Although many see the party as a child of necessity that came to full maturity at a time Nigerians needed a breath of fresh air but allowing it to wallow in internal crises may rob it of victory in 2023.
Political watchers insist that the LP must not be carried away by its national appeal because the polls are around the corner.
Many call on the party to quickly overcome internal disputes in order to capitalize on the credibility gap afflicting the APC and PDP.
Unlike in the past when the presidential poll was a straight fight between the candidates of the nation’s two major parties, the APC and PDP, the reverse appears to be the case this time around, with the unsettling emergence of Obi on the wings of LP.
Many say that the LP is now reaping bountifully from the calibre of Obi’s person, his integrity, practical solutions to Nigeria’s problems and love for the masses.
While the accolades reach a crescendo, it must be noted that the journey to ‘stardom’ for LP has not been a smooth one. Many think that the retarded growth of the LP may not be unconnected with the protracted leadership tussle in the party since its establishment in 2002.