Events In Rivers, Osun, Lagos Bad For Our Democracy – ZLP

The national chairman of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Chief Dan Nwanyanwu has accused political cronies of President Bola Tinubu of exploiting political tensions in Rivers, Osun and Lagos states for personal interest, warning that they threaten Nigeria’s democracy.

Nwanyanwu, who said this over the weekend in Abuja, urged the president to call his political surrogates in those states to order.

Tensions in Lagos, Osun and Rivers States have been high in recent weeks following heated tussles over control of key political structures in the states ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We caution against Osun and Lagos States rehearsing the Wild Wild West and Rivers State rehearsing the dangerous militancy in the oil region witnessed in the past,” he said.

Nwanyanwu, who lamented that the political crises have heated up the polity and led to the Supreme Court cases, canvassed for a political solution to resolve most of the issues.

“What is the legal status of 27 members of the Rivers Assembly who defected from the political party that sponsored their elections to another political party in the absence of division in Leadership positions at the National level of that Party? And what is the effect of the affidavit sworn on oath by them admitting defecting to another political party?”

He said attempts are now being made to withdraw the same affidavit sworn to by them to enable them eat their cake and still have it.

“It is common sense that they have left their political party by the very acts carried out by them in December, 2023.

“Even an unborn child can attest to the very act of defection, announcements and video recordings of the same as well as the reception organized by the Party they decamped into.

That is the background or basis of the crisis that led to the withholding of funds and other ancillary matters.

“Abuse of privilege and opportunities has now become the order of the day. And we cannot all keep quiet. Recall when you and I were struggling for survival of democracy in 1993 in Late M.K.O Abiola’s (denied Elected President of Nigeria) house as our meeting point, these characters were not near or close to you in the struggle.

“In sum, the ZLP submitted that the intervention of Mr. President is very urgent because, we live in a region where democracy is regrettably in recession, hinting that this is how the political crisis of the Wild Wild West started,” he added.