LP kicks against member-elect’s comments on Tinubu’s leadership style

The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has dissociated itself from the commendation of President Bola Tinubu’s leadership style by one of its House of Representatives members-elect, Amobi Ogah.

Mr Ogah, elected to represent Isuikwuato-Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State, expressed his admiration for Mr Tinubu after the president met with the lawmakers elected for the 10th Assembly at the State House on Thursday.

“Today is my best day. I’m so happy that I’m an elected member and seeing my president talking. In fact, I’ve never known that this man is so intelligent,” he said.

The LP member-elect further pledged his support to the president, noting that the country’s interest is above party affiliation.

“We have agreed that we are going towards a government decision, not minding I am of the Labour Party. Now the party is not the issue. We are talking about building Nigeria. We are talking about the unity of Nigeria,” Mr Ogah was quoted to have said.

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However, in a reaction to Mr Ogah’s comments, the LP, in a statement issued by Obiora Ifoh, its national publicity secretary on Friday, said the party has a contrary view from what the lawmaker-elect was quoted to have said.

According to the statement, the LP said the lawmaker has regretted his actions and has apologised to the party.

The LP and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, are currently challenging the victory of Mr Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Election Tribunal.

INEC had on 1 March declared Mr Tinubu the winner of the 25 February presidential election.

Read the LP’s full statement below:

Hon Ogah’s position on President Tinubu’s leadership, personal, not party position.

The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to an interview granted by one of our House of Representatives members-elect, Hon. Amobi Ogah wherein he expressed his satisfaction with the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that some of his colleagues have “agreed to go towards government decision” on the leadership of the 10th Assembly.

Though as a first time and newly elected lawmaker, the Member-elect made the utterance which is clearly within his rights as an individual as enshrined in the laws of the land however, the party has a view quite different from what the honourable member was quoted to have said.

As an individual, he does not have the mandate to speak for the party and therefore cannot claim to be standing on the platform of the Labour Party to do the same, giving views that are diametrically opposed to what the Labour Party stands for.

The Labour Party is presently in the tribunal hoping to retrieve our mandate which was expressly given to our presidential candidate on the February 25, and every testament emanating from the tribunal points to the fact that the Labour Party clearly won the election but was robbed. We have remained resolute to our belief that justice will be done and so soon.

For the record, the Labour Party has nothing against the personality of President Tinubu, however, we are challenging both the process and final outcome of the presidential election. We as a party insist that the route to His Excellency must be excellent and anything other than that amounts to a mockery of democracy.

Finally, we urge millions of our party members who are irked and offended by Hon Ogah’s interview which has since gone viral to maintain their cool as the lawmaker has regretted his actions and has tendered unreserved apologies to the party.

SIGN

Obiora Ifoh

National Publicity Secretary

LABOUR PARTY.