The crisis in LP will be resolved soonest, we have being unfortunate with lack of capacity by leadership to live out the party's ideology of social democracy and its populist vision. The characters of the LP had started to resemble that of PDP and APC in a manner inducing confusion into the masses who drove it to popularity on the wings of Peter Obi integrity. While observers are currently confused in the fight between NLC and LP National leadership as to who is right, permit me to say that the danger of the national chairman secretly re-electing himself by planning the National Convention of the party without relevant stakeholders in the face of a court judgement favoring NLC as the owner of LP agitated NLC into a swift action to prevent a man whose tenue of office expired 2023 and sought a two-year extension with excuses but got a year extension.
I love my country and the LP today presents a platform for ordinary Nigerians like me to aspire to be governor or president like it is across the world where workers party is a vehicle for average citizens to access power to serve and not to be worshipped. I speak out my experience within the party because if we remove the root cause of LP going down, we could still attract Edo State people to the LP. Only the truth will set the LP free to get power to address insecurity, hunger and adversities in the land. The root cause, just like the glory of the presidential attempt lies at the door step of Barr Julius Abure engaging in money hunting at any cost, resulting in APC like substitution of names at INEC portal and court cases arising therefrom up to supreme court (Edo State Mrs Elizabet Ativie versus Murphy Imasuen), even after Murphy won the case Abure refuse to assist his case in court and was suspended for not accepting the offer to become a LGA chairman and Hon. Ativie (who allegedly paid for it) to fly the party’s flag for the Orhionmwon/ Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency in the 2023 general elections. Imagine the money Imasuen spent first to become a candidate and second to pursue his mandate without LP support in court (evil nothing less). Needless discussing the case of LP governorship candidates for Ebonyi State and Plateau States, Eze Oko Splendour and Chief Yohana Yilpwan Margif respectively that let to Abure’s arrest before the Edo recent arrest triggered by the attempted murder of Comr. Anslem Eragbe & my Elder brother Patrick Anethia in Benin laying the basis for internal & external interests to either truncate the governorship primary of the LP or manipulate it for the actors (creating confusion but we know wetin dey).
Public confusion is further deepened by legalities and technicalities such as court judgement aforementioned, the constitution and electoral acts. For those who are confused because the Labour Unions are not strong as they used to be as a result there is disappointment in them it is understandable, however, let it be known that the LP is losing grassroot support fast having participated in several elections after Peter Obi without winning instead secret deals carried out by LP leadership to sell out it’s positions to governors and other high profile buyers, like we know in Edo State to prevent APC having a majority in House of Assembly that would make the impeachment of the governor easy by his enemy he defeated at the election. The fight was visible to the blind and audible to the deaf.
The Kogi state, Imo state and Bayelsa off-cycle elections remains to remind us of the urgency of changing out our National Chairman as soon as possible to save the LP in Edo and Ondo states.
As an aspirant in the last governorship LP race leading up to the primaries what I saw was disproportionately disappointing that LP a worker’s party became monetized by Abure's obvious appetite for rich aspirants. This catalyzed greed within the party leadership down to the unit level in Edo State.
No doubt that if the head is changed the rest will adjust to the strict conditions of transformational, altruistic leadership that will embarked on value re-orientation and education on the vision of the LP that is undependably funded by the people and not money bags aspirants who may find it difficult to challenge APC and PDP in the contest of money and power. LP can only win when the people believe and have faith in the party and I stand for this difficult process and willing to serve the LP at the National Level without my brother Julius Abure.
Labour Party! Forward Ever!! Solidarity Forever!!!
Long Live LP!
Long Live Edo State!!
Long Live Nigeria!!!
Engr. (Comr.) Mike Osho Oshiobugie,
Former LP Governorship Aspirant Edo State,