The Labour Party (LP) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Peter Obi, its 2023 presidential candidate, to resign from the party.
The demand comes after Obi formally joined the coalition in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, on Thursday, the party expressed its disinterest in joining the coalition, describing its members as power mongers whose only interest is self-preservation rather than the people’s welfare.
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.
It said that all those who mismanaged Nigeria over the years are the ones that gathered themselves in the coalition, stressing that desperate politicians cannot birth 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 has refused to defect with him.
“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition and therefore, any of our members who is part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party. Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one Party and another leg elsewhere. People that in the morning, they will claim to be in the Labour Party and in the evening they are in coalition.
“Nearly 70 percent of Nigerian population are youths who are 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 realized from what we are seeing in the coalition,” the statement reads in part.
The party emphasised that the members of the coalition are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into circle of power, describing them as “people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.”
The statement added: “The new Nigeria of our dream can only be realized through 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.”
