A couple of days before the presidential election slated for February 25, the chairman of Gombe State chapter of Labour Party (LP) and coordinating chairman for 36 States of the federation, Alh Sani Abdulsalam, has alleged that party’s executives in the North were being marginalised.
Giving the party 12-hour ultimatum, Abdusalam called for the immediate release of all money budgeted by the party for the 2023 election logistics.
Alleging undemocratic internal activities of the party’s presidential candidate, he said Peter Obi may fail in the polls if the party does not revert the trends.
He lamented that the party has failed to recognise the important role of the 36 state chapters’ leadership but would rather chose to work with cronies and support groups.
Abdulsalam, who spoke on behalf of others such as: the chairman of Yobe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammad Bukar; and the national vice chairman, North-East, Alhaji Mohammed Alkaji, during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, hinted that monies expected to be channeled to polling unit agents through state chairmen or national officers have not been sent, stressing the fundamental need to mobilise polling unit agents.
He said: “I speak on behalf of 36 state chairmen of our party in my capacity as the coordinating chairman. We have never been respected by the party leadership and also our presidential candidate has no respect for our party executives at state levels because Mr Peter Obi deliberately mismanaged our goodwill with the imposition of his members and other support groups that decamped with him in May 2022 to our party.
“Of note today Wednesday the 22nd day of February 2023 was the meeting we had with the national chairman Bar Julius Abure in the party head office where the discussion was held about the logistics support for state chapters and national officers towards effective mobilisation of our members for the presidential and National Assembly election on Saturday 25th February 2023.
“To our surprise, the national chairman Bar Julius Abure said the Presidential candidate Mr Peter Obi has no confidence in all the 36 state chapters’ leadership but would rather choose to work with their cronies and support group that came with him.
“The greatest shock from the national chairman was that money for agents will not be sent to any state chairman or National officers except those three NWC members including a woman and that all state chairmen and 19 other members already picked by Mr Peter Obi himself will be given monies meant for party agents and alert will be received by 10 pm tonight Wednesday the 22nd day of February 2023.
“As of tonight, no alert has been received by any state chairmen and information reaching us confirmed that money was paid based on ethnic and religious consideration because only persons of a particular ethnic group currently run the campaign of Mr. Peter Obi in cohort with the national chairman, Mr. Julius Abure, has polluted the party.
“Nigerians should be aware that Mr. Peter Obi is an epitome of lies and a bundle of deceit. In fact, he has come to destroy our beloved party.
“As members of the Labour Party National Executive and National Working Committee (NWC), it is our considered opinion and informed conclusion that Peter Obi cannot win this election since all party executives have been sidelined. He is not ready and is grossly ill-prepared for the Presidential race.”
He also stressed the need to carry 36 state chairmen along so that the party would be victorious in the elections.
