National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mallam Ibrahim Umar, in this interview on Channels TV Politics Today monitored by Linus Aleke, expresses optimism that his party will coast to victory in the 2023 presidential poll. He talks about the internal crisis rocking the party, alleging that the Acting National Publicity of LP is being used by opposition elements to distabilise the party.

How is the Labour Party (LP), faring in this campaign season?

The Labour Party (LP), is faring very well, we are overwhelmed by the high level of support we enjoy from the people.

Your opponents say that you don’t have structures, how valid is that proposition?
We have a very formidable structure. The opposition parties are just deceiving themselves with the issue of structure.

So, your opponents should be ready for a shocker?
Very much.

How much of a surprise should they be expecting?
We are certainly hoping to see Peter Obi sworn in as the next president of Nigeria.

Your party is now entangled in an internal crisis, like the mega parties, especially with the current corruption allegations levelled against some party bigwigs, by the Ogun State chapter of the party.

We are in a race to take over the presidency, in Nigeria. However, power and struggles are difficult things. To grab power from the incumbent is not a tea party. You have to face a lot of challenges and these are part of the challenges we are facing. Some people have been compromised, they allow themselves to be infiltrated by outsiders. So, they will come and be making all manner of false allegations about the membership and leadership of the party. But as it is in the power struggle, it is not out of place or surprising to be receiving this kind of allegations. In the so-called big parties, we had also heard allegations of corruption running into billions, amongst them. When we receive this kind of petition I am just seeing it for the first time. If a leader in the party has any issue, the party has an internal conflict resolution mechanism to resolve it. So, going public to ridicule oneself and the party before exploring the internal mechanism is uncalled for. These fraudulent allegations are something that is criminal and he can go to court to seek redress. However, on the issues in Ogun, we have had the crisis of the Ogun state chapter of the party, suspending one of the members, without following the due process, as enshrined in our constitution. There is due process for suspending a member which is spelt out in our constitution, the membership and what have we, the disciplinary approach, which of course gives the accused an opportunity to also state his side of the story or put simply, defend himself. But this process was not followed when the Ogun State chapter took its decision to unilaterally suspend Dr Doyin Okupe which was impunity in the highest order. But the party at the national level, quickly swoop into action, debunked it, and stated unequivocally that their actions were null and void and of no effect. The Publicity Secretary, Mr. Abayomi Arabambi, whose recent actions in public showcase a man that is already compromised. For a National office of the party to have taken the party to court after a competent court has ruled in favour of the party, asking the party to field candidates for certain elective positions, in a very critical state like Lagos, where we fielded none of the candidates, as a result of Mr Arabambi’s inaction and inability to do the right thing.

The LP presented an image of integrity to Nigerians and now allegations of fraud are flying right, left and centre, Nigerians are worried, can you speak to some of these allegations of fraud?

As I said, the public has confidence in the party, and that is why we are witnessing this influx of members as the campaign is intensified. We are not saying that all of us are saints, however, some people will go out of their way to blackmail the leadership of the party, out of their desperation, especially when they fail to get what they want. I don’t want to join issues with Arabambi, because a disciplinary committee had been set up to ensure that whatever he is saying, is proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Have you finalised the disciplinary actions to be taken against him?
No, the process is still ongoing.

Are you going to suspend or expel him?
Well, it depends on what the constitution provides. If his actions prove that he should be suspended or expelled, so be it. But for the records, Arabambi, was the former chairman of the Ogun state chapter of the Labour Party (LP). After the expiration of his eight-year tenure, the NWC felt that since there was a vacancy at the national, let him come and act and that acting position has since elapsed. So he is no longer a national official of the party going by the provision of our constitution.

Is that the reason why all these things are going on at your party?
Yes, that is the reason, there is high desperation behind his actions. As a member of the party, he was supposed to be the image maker of the party. The party got a favourable judgement to field its candidates and one member is going against that judgement, all through to Supreme Court, could you imagine that?

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Are you saying that he is being sponsored by the opposition?
Certainly, he is acting some other people’s script.

Can Nigerians trust your party with the governance of this country as well as management of its diversity, because the unity of Nigeria is very crucial, do you have what it takes to manage this complex web?
You see, governance is not a one-man show, it is a collective responsibility of the people and it is teamwork. So, Peter Obi as he has clearly stated in his manifesto is the right man for the job, you can see the salient point he had elaborated. I think we have some people around him, and those around him are credible people. People with proven integrity and we had also seen how Peter Obi governed Anambra state as a governor. We have seen their development and other achievements, and the integrity he portrayed is not in doubt. He is one of the best candidates, we can talk about as far as the 2023 presidential aspirations in Nigeria is concerned.

So, you are saying that Nigerians should trust the template that Obi used in Anambra state, for the governance of Nigeria?
Yes, look at what he achieved despite the conflict and crisis that engulfed his tenure. He was impeached twice and still came back after the impeachment to perform creditably well. Despite those kinds of hurdles, he was able to achieve tremendous successes, in education, healthcare, human capital development, and several others too numerous to mention now.

So, you believe that Peter Obi is in a better position to win this election?
Certainly, we are going to win the election.

If you are asked one thing that may make your candidate not win the election, what would that be?
Well, that would be the docility of Nigerians not to select a good leader. So, if Nigerians feel that they want to continue with the old order, that they don’t want to select a leader that will salvage the country, it is up to them. Aside from that Obi does not have an alternative in 2023.

As far as you are concerned Peter Obi is the president-in-waiting?
Yes, that is my position, the grassroots population of ‘Obi-dient’ cannot wait to vote for him in February.