Labor struggles as internal row tears apart structure
Without structure, is it possible for a presidential candidate and his party to win elections in Nigeria? This poser appears to be the subtext to the ongoing leadership dispute within the Labor Party (LP).
Some of the members had gone to court to seek an order barring Julius Abure from running as the party's national chairman. But, the owners of the political platform, the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), have come out to say that despite the shenanigans of some disgruntled former members, Abure remains in office as national president.
Watchers of Nigerian politics have noted that the party's strong presence as a dynamic third force must have become its albatross. Although it was dismissed as an unserious political party driven by overzealous young people, most of whom do not have voter registration cards, LP gave to established political parties, in particular the All Progressives Congress (APC) in power and the main opposition party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), a race for their money.
Given its competitiveness and popularity among young and new voters, it was therefore not expected that some interest groups would begin to claim relevance and take advantage of the bright future of the party.
It should be recalled that LP's profile rose soon after former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi became his presidential candidate. Obi had dumped his old party, the PDP, on which he contested the 2019 presidential election as the running mate of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar.
With Obi's entry and just eight months before this year's general election, LP's fortunes have changed, even as his soft-spoken flag-bearer has rallied the country to a political counter-narrative which emphasized character, skill, ability and compassion in the selection of leaders.< /p>
Obi
Obi's promise to transform Nigeria from a consumer nation to a productive economy has captured national attention. The message resonated with the people as some drew a contrast between him and the former African-American President of the United States, Barrack Obama, whose slogan of change "Yes we can" gave the Democratic Party the presidency of the outgoing Republican Party.
Obi also energized the youths by asking them to take back their country from the established corrupt politicians who had held the country hostage for decades. He cited his personal examples from when he was chief executive of Anambra State, pointing out that evil and corrupt leaders were responsible for mass poverty, insecurity, growing population of children out of school and a comatose economy.
Although the general impression among analysts is that Obi's entry into LP changed the stature of the party as well as the country's political narratives, the party was already a player in Nigerian politics.
>However, aside from the 2009 upheaval it caused in Ondo State when the party rejected Dr Olusegun Mimiko as governor, the 2023 elections were phenomenal for the party of workers. Bolstered by the demographic appeal of young people under the umbrella of the “Obidient movement”, the party placed third in the presidential poll, replicating its effort with an elected governor in Abia State, seven elected senators and 34 members elected for the House of Representatives in the recent general elections.
Recall that opinion polls conducted by many polling platforms before the election predicted the possibility that the party's presidential candidate, Obi, would come out on top.
However, while the polls were dismissed as mere projections by the other parties, LP proved the bookmakers right with its unexpected electoral triumph in Lagos State, the favorite base of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) in power. The party also won in Nasarawa, the home state of APC national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; won in the FCT, as well as in the Plateau and a few other states.
While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced APC flag bearer Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the winner after the tabulation of results, Obi and LP, who were ranked third behind the Democratic Party of people (PDP) and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have made holes with the electoral processes leading to the return of a winner.
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Without structure, is it possible for a presidential candidate and his party to win elections in Nigeria? This poser appears to be the subtext to the ongoing leadership dispute within the Labor Party (LP).
Some of the members had gone to court to seek an order barring Julius Abure from running as the party's national chairman. But, the owners of the political platform, the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), have come out to say that despite the shenanigans of some disgruntled former members, Abure remains in office as national president.
Watchers of Nigerian politics have noted that the party's strong presence as a dynamic third force must have become its albatross. Although it was dismissed as an unserious political party driven by overzealous young people, most of whom do not have voter registration cards, LP gave to established political parties, in particular the All Progressives Congress (APC) in power and the main opposition party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), a race for their money.
Given its competitiveness and popularity among young and new voters, it was therefore not expected that some interest groups would begin to claim relevance and take advantage of the bright future of the party.
It should be recalled that LP's profile rose soon after former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi became his presidential candidate. Obi had dumped his old party, the PDP, on which he contested the 2019 presidential election as the running mate of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar.
With Obi's entry and just eight months before this year's general election, LP's fortunes have changed, even as his soft-spoken flag-bearer has rallied the country to a political counter-narrative which emphasized character, skill, ability and compassion in the selection of leaders.< /p>
Obi
Obi's promise to transform Nigeria from a consumer nation to a productive economy has captured national attention. The message resonated with the people as some drew a contrast between him and the former African-American President of the United States, Barrack Obama, whose slogan of change "Yes we can" gave the Democratic Party the presidency of the outgoing Republican Party.
Obi also energized the youths by asking them to take back their country from the established corrupt politicians who had held the country hostage for decades. He cited his personal examples from when he was chief executive of Anambra State, pointing out that evil and corrupt leaders were responsible for mass poverty, insecurity, growing population of children out of school and a comatose economy.
Although the general impression among analysts is that Obi's entry into LP changed the stature of the party as well as the country's political narratives, the party was already a player in Nigerian politics.
>However, aside from the 2009 upheaval it caused in Ondo State when the party rejected Dr Olusegun Mimiko as governor, the 2023 elections were phenomenal for the party of workers. Bolstered by the demographic appeal of young people under the umbrella of the “Obidient movement”, the party placed third in the presidential poll, replicating its effort with an elected governor in Abia State, seven elected senators and 34 members elected for the House of Representatives in the recent general elections.
Recall that opinion polls conducted by many polling platforms before the election predicted the possibility that the party's presidential candidate, Obi, would come out on top.
However, while the polls were dismissed as mere projections by the other parties, LP proved the bookmakers right with its unexpected electoral triumph in Lagos State, the favorite base of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) in power. The party also won in Nasarawa, the home state of APC national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; won in the FCT, as well as in the Plateau and a few other states.
While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced APC flag bearer Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the winner after the tabulation of results, Obi and LP, who were ranked third behind the Democratic Party of people (PDP) and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have made holes with the electoral processes leading to the return of a winner.
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