By Jude Opara, Abuja
A former National Organising Secretary (NOS) of the Labour Party, Clement Ojukwu has expressed his regrets over the numerous litigations against the party since after the 2023 general elections, saying the crisis has affected the fortunes of the party.
Ojukwu who has now pitched his tent with the Sen. Nenadi Usman-led Interim National Working Committee, noted that after the 2023 general elections, the party which produced 34 members of the House of Representatives, eight Senators and 80 members of state Houses of Assembly have virtually lost most of them.
“Now, I don’t think we have up to five members in the National Assembly, and it’s almost the same situation in the state Houses of Assembly”.
The Labour Party chieftain who opened up in an interview in Abuja, explained that he decided to join the Caretaker Committee because it is now the legally recognised leaders of the Labour Party in the country.
“I decided, for the interest of the party, to join hands to work with the Caretaker Committee to redeem the Labor Party.
“And I also want to use this opportunity to call on my colleagues at the national level, at the state level, at the local government level, let us come together, and rebuild our party.
“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I will call all my colleagues in the other faction to let us come together and rebuild this party.
“The Caretaker Committee has created a reconciliation committee, let us come together and dialogue so that we can redeem the first opposition political party in Nigeria,” he pleaded.
The former NOS who was with the Julius Abure led faction, said there is no more factions in Labour Party, adding, “there is a verdict from court, and since they are valid (and) the rightful people are on the seat.”
Ojukwu specifically called on Julius Abure and others to withdraw the cases pending in court because it is not helping the party.
“Litigations are killing political parties. We have seen many political parties that are no more because of litigations, and Labor Party is going down on daily basis,” he regretted.
He equally rubbished the suggestion that his membership of the Sen. Usman-led NWC was a betrayal of the Abure faction, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that particular faction.
“Why I am with this group is because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed”, he concluded.
