Hon Obi Aguocha is the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/ Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia State within the Home of Representatives. On this interview, he speaks on the management disaster rocking Labour Party and the defection of the get together’s lawmakers. ANAYO EZUGWU writes
Was the Labour Party conscious that the defection of lawmakers elected on its platform was imminent?
Sadly, a few of my colleagues determined to tug away from the Labour Party to hitch the ruling get together however that could be very unlucky.
There are 35 members of Labour Party within the Home of Representatives, 5 pulled out, we nonetheless have 30 sturdy members who consider within the ideology of the get together.
Within the Senate, we’re eight senators, one pulled out, so we nonetheless have seven sturdy senators, who consider within the ideology of the get together.
So, whether or not they pulled out for his or her curiosity is for his or her constituents and for the folks to find out.
Labour Party has remained and can stay a formidable platform to wrest energy from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The get together demonstrated that within the final common election by truly profitable the election however the dynamics in Nigeria and the institution thought it in any other case to make sure that Peter Obi by no means turned president.
However I can guarantee you that going ahead, Labour Party is powerful by itself to maneuver on a path that may present that the get together remains to be a formidable platform. It’s nonetheless a formidable get together.
It’s nonetheless a celebration that cares for the generality of the folks, a celebration that may deliver completely different dynamics to the governance construction of Nigeria.
That sounds very theoretical as a result of in apply that’s not what’s occurring within the Labour Party and why do you suppose these 5 defected?
It’s not theoretical. We now have a governor however some persons are solely fixated on the 5 decampees.
They’re my colleagues, and I might not say in poor health of my colleagues as a result of it was a private choice they took.
A few of them have defined their actions within the public area, and a part of what they stated was that there’s a perceived division within the Labour Party.
There’s no political get together, particularly the highest three in Nigeria, that doesn’t have any points. APC has their issues. PDP has their issues. The Labour Party, after all, has its issues.
However an important factor is that the management of Labour Party has remained steadfast to find options to the issues that we’ve within the Labour Party.
Sure, our matter has gone via the Excessive Court docket and is on enchantment. I might consider that by the point the court docket decides as to the course of the get together, then all of us will now know the course to maneuver.
However by the use of the willpower of the court docket, Julius Abure by willpower of the court docket, whether or not proper or flawed, is the chairman of the get together. So, there’s no division within the Labour Party.
How a lot is that this defection about 2027 and the sensation that these Home members aren’t positive the place the Labour Party will likely be by then?
From my evaluation and discussions with them, politics is dynamics.
Sadly, most of those Labour colleagues of mine additionally come from states that don’t have a Labour Party authorities. So, it’s additionally a problem of their self-survival.
They in all probability perhaps underneath strain that the election for 2027 goes to be very tough for them with out a serving to hand from the state authorities.
Do you count on extra Labour defections within the Home?
No, I’m a Labour man for all times. I consider within the ideology of Peter Obi and the ideology of Governor Alex Otti and the platform that we’re in.
What if Peter Obi leaves Labour Party as a result of he’s speaking to different folks?
Effectively, he’s entitled to speak to as many individuals as he desires to have the ability to entice them to come back to the Labour Party, to wrest energy from the federal government of the day, to reset Nigeria.
So, you have a look at the state of affairs in Nigeria, hopelessness and never sufficient alternative.
I’m ideologically aligned and related to Peter Obi and Alex Otti and the platform of the Labour Party. Now, we’re a political platform.
We’re curious about wresting energy from the APC, in order that we are able to restore hope for the Nigerian folks, to have the ability to guarantee that there’s satisfactory safety, to have the ability to be sure that folks can get up in
The defection of 5 members… doesn’t diminish nor does it rise to the extent the place it could suffice that the Labour Party is now not going to be the beacon of hope for Nigerians
the morning, somewhat than undergo starvation, excessive inflation, youngsters go to high school and don’t have a possibility to be gainfully employed.
No one is comfortable. Even the APC persons are not proud of the present state of affairs in Nigeria.
So, if we’ve to type a coalition to make sure that we’ve satisfactory provisions in place, why not, in spite of everything, APC was a coalition that subscribed to an ideology that wrested energy from PDP.
So, I don’t see it extraordinary if Labour Party comes along with another like-minded Nigerians, who’re dedicated and decided to do the proper factor for as soon as in Nigeria.
Labour Party has picked upon what they are saying is the readability of the Nigerian structure over defections that if you find yourself elected on the platform of 1 get together and also you defect to a different get together, there should be division in that get together on the nationwide stage, is that the case on this state of affairs?
There is no such thing as a division in Labour Party and the anomaly of sections 68 and 109 is topic to varied interpretations by numerous folks.
Labour Party has stated equivocally that it’s going to discover each alternative to take a look at sections 68 and 109 once more. Like I stated, part 68 is kind of particular.
Some thresholds need to be met for division to be relevant to be justifiable for Labour Party colleagues of mine to have left.
I simply stated to you that by the willpower of the court docket, Julius Abure is the chairman. That’s what the court docket says till the upper court docket says in any other case.
And it doesn’t imply additionally that those that are difficult Abure don’t have any constitutional proper to try this. Labour Party is one. Peter Obi remains to be the chief of the Labour Party. Alex Otti remains to be a pacesetter within the Labour Party.
They haven’t deviated from the Labour Party. These are issues that occur that present the dynamism of political events. Have a look at sections 68 and 109. I don’t consider that division does exist.
Nevertheless it’s not for me to find out. Labour Party has additionally stated that it’s exploring the alternatives or the chances of difficult their defection in court docket. That’s one facet of it. Labour Party is a important stakeholder on this regard.
Now, the opposite important stakeholders that apply are the constituents of those numerous folks.
As I stated, there have been 5 or 6 individuals who defected on the day my colleagues defected from the Labour Party.
No one is speaking in regards to the PDP defector. It’s all in regards to the Labour Party due to the importance of the Labour Party.
Are you aware how many individuals, who defected from opposition events to PDP when PDP held sway?
So, 5 folks defecting from Labour Party to APC, with out diminishing the standing of my colleagues is kind of insignificant.
Do you count on that the APC-led management of the Home will declare these seats vacant?
If the APC-led management of the Home of Representatives goes by the strictest interpretation of part 68, the seats will likely be declared vacant however I do know that what they’re doing is accepting as many individuals into their fold, which diminishes the import of an organised opposition.
Consideration is being given to 5 Labour Party defectors, after we nonetheless have 30 members within the Home and 7 senators out of eight.
How has that made us ineffectual? I’ll panic when it’s stated the Labour Party that got here into the tenth Nationwide Meeting with 35 Home of Representatives members and eight senators is now down to 1 senator, or that we’re down to 5 members of the Home. Then I’ll say there’s a disaster.
But when we’re nonetheless sustaining above 90 per cent of our energy, then we’re nonetheless going to be engaged, rightfully so, in serving to to shore up and construct up our democracy.
Would you concede that we’re witnessing a time of larger uncertainty within the Labour Party because of these defections?
I feel we’re witnessing a larger time of uncertainty within the physique of Nigeria.
As I stated hopelessness and never sufficient alternative, starvation, insecurity and the destabilization of the Naira, we’re not transferring ahead as a rustic. So that ought to give concern to many Nigerians than what is occurring with the Labour Party. What is occurring now with the Labour Party is simply 5 defections and people defections, whereas it’s unlucky, as I stated by my colleagues that we have been hoping to construct a stronger opposition now determined to go away. Effectively, I want them effectively. However past that Labour Party remains to be the platform that may deliver in regards to the freshness that we hope will start to make Nigeria larger once more. Not this renewed hopelessness that we’re having. So, Labour Party continues to be a robust political get together. Why is APC afraid of the Labour Party? They’re afraid of Labour Party as a result of it’s the get together of the frequent particular person in Nigeria. And people persons are wanting desperately for anyone, a beacon of sunshine that may change our narrative from hopelessness and never sufficient alternative to the place all Nigerians can have one thing significant to have the ability to assist their households, to have the ability to be productively engaged within the nation, in our economic system and in any other case minded. So, the defection of 5 members, whereas it’s unlucky for me as a member of the Labour Party, it doesn’t diminish nor does it rise to the extent the place it could suffice that the Labour Party is now not going to be the beacon of hope for Nigerians.
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