The Concerned Igbo Stakeholders Forum, an NGO, has urged Labour Party (LP) to work hard to become ‘third force’ in the nation’s polity that would wrestle power from the two dominant parties.
The Convener of the group, Mr Chukwuma Okenwa, made the call in a statement on Wednesday in Enugu while reacting to the emergence of Mr Peter Obi as Labour Party Presidential Candidate come 2023 General Elections.
Okenwa advised that the party should work hard as well as seize the opportunity of having Obi as its Presidential candidate to wrestle power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in all the states. The Trumpet Gathered
“PDP and APC have failed to learn from their past mistakes and have not shown signs of turning a new leaf. At a time when the country is in dire need of transformational leaders to rescue it from deep rot.
“The primaries of both parties in most states have been embroiled in corruption; where party leaders aid the emergence of ‘highest bidders’ while disenfranchising credible and popular candidates.
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“If we must produce the right breed of leaders to move our country forward in 2023, we must stop the planned monopoly of PDP and APC,” he said.
Okenwa called on the Labour Party not to use this as a medium to make money in sales of gubernatorial or legislative forms but they should leverage on Obi’s factor to build the membership and popularity of the party.
According to him, millions of Nigerian youths are registering for their Permanent Voters Cards, filling the membership form of the party through their website and politicians from various states left the major parties immediately Obi did. He urged the party to mainstream itself into national prominence using the Obi factor; while millions of well-meaning Nigerians would use it to make the desired transformational change.
“I will admonish the leadership of Labour Party at the national, state and local government levels to stand up to this golden opportunity and ensure that the party welcomes every well-meaning Nigerian as its structures will begin to build itself in various localities.
“After the 2023 general elections, the party would boast of elected positions in the country if they would not use this as a medium to make money as we could see that Nigeria is becoming a mess daily as a result of corruption in political parties,” he said.
The convener noted that Obi is undoubtedly one of the finest candidates that had emerged for the office of the president in 2023, adding that “his growing national appeal is an indication that Nigerians trust his ability to deliver.”
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