Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has expressed deep concern over the state of the nation, urging the opposition to rise and speak against the prevailing hardship and poor governance.
Speaking during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Wednesday, Obi lamented the worsening poverty in Nigeria and emphasized the need for collective action, beginning from within the Labour Party itself.
“We must speak when things are wrong, Nigeria is collapsing, the numbers are clear, the indices are clear, more and more people are poorer,” Obi said. “People who used to feed well are now begging, even in this hotel. Any time I enter this hotel, I see people telling me, ‘Oga, I came to Abuja, I can’t go back.’”
He painted a bleak picture of current living conditions, saying, “Where I used to go that people ask me, ‘Oga will you eat? Will you drink?’ Nobody is asking me anything again. That shows you how bad it is.”
The NEC meeting was chaired by former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, and saw attendance from key party figures including Obi’s 2023 running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti. Lawmakers from both chambers of the National Assembly who are members of the party were also present.
Following the meeting, the Labour Party delegation, led by Obi and Governor Otti, marched to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja. There, they demanded official recognition of Nenadi Usman as the party’s national chairman, referencing the recent Supreme Court ruling that nullified the Court of Appeal’s recognition of Julius Abure.
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict, stated that matters concerning party leadership are internal and beyond judicial jurisdiction. The panel concluded that Abure’s tenure had already lapsed and ruled in favor of Senator Esther Usman and her co-appellant, while dismissing Abure’s cross-appeal.
Obi’s call for integrity and unity within the party comes at a crucial time, as the Labour Party continues to reposition itself in the wake of internal disputes and national political tension
