By Alex Odeh
The Ebonyi State Chapter Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Chief Henry Udeh(Ajim Best), has raised alarm over the unfair and exorbitant sales of expression of interest and nomination forms by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the forthcoming Local Government Areas elections in Ebonyi State.
Addressing journalists shortly after the party’s stakeholders meeting held in Abakaliki, the Chairman, who dispelled information that Labour Party (LP), has collapsed into African Democratic Congress (ADC), said they are merely into coalition.
He disclosed that that party has forms to sell for the forthcoming Local Government Areas elections in the state, but it was waiting for court cases before the it to be sorted out.
He said, “Labour Party cannot collpase into ADC. Never! That can never happen. ADC and Labour Party, which one is the strongest, more rooted party? Labour Party, definitely not ADC.
“Nobody is collapsing Labour Party into any party at all. But we belong, we agree and we accept that we join the coalition. What we are joining is coalition, not collapsing Labour Party into any other party”, he said.
On the forthcoming Local Government Areas elections in Ebonyi State, Chief Henry Udeh said the party is still deliberating on it following pending court matters, “We are still deliberating on all that because of some certain court issues at the national level. And we’re waiting for that to be sorted out.
“We have forms, we have everything. But our own form will not be a broad day light robbery like that of the APC. Our form will be exactly the interpretation of what Labour Party stands for. Don’t vote people because they have money. Choose the right individual. If it is possible, I can assure you that Labour Party will share their forms free to those who want to run”, he declared.
Speaking also, the Labour Party (LP) Ebonyi State 2023 gubernatoral candidate, Splendour Oko Eze, also said the meeting is to brief stakeholders of the party concerning the preparation for her forthcoming congresses, which will culminate in the party’s national convention.
He said, “Today’s meeting was called to brief our members across the 13 local governments in Ebonyi State the developments going on in our party and to tell them that the Labour Party is strong nationwide and that we are getting prepared for the forthcoming world congresses, local government congresses, state congresses that will now culminate into national convention.
“As we are doing it in Ebonyi State so is happening all over the 36 states including FCT. So we were admonished to go down to our respective states, from the national level, and host this type of meeting because you know that politics is grassroot based.
He called on the party supporters and those who are in doubt that there is no opposition in Ebonyi State to know that the party is prepared for 2027.
“Those of them who said that there is no opposition in Ebonyi State or that Labour Party is dead or Obedient movement is dead, you can see to yourselves that Labour Party is very strong and what we did in 2023, we are ready to replicate it come 2027.
He added that it is not only Labour Party that voted for Peter Obi in the 2023 general election, noting that Peter Obi stands for good governance.
‘It was not just the vote of the Labour Party that gave Peter Obi such victory in Ebonyi State. Whether Peter Obi is in ADC or is in Labour Party, wherever he is, Obedient movement, we don’t look at that where he is. What we do is, we go for good governance. For now, we have seen that he is a man who can give all the good governance. So, his support cuts across all party lines”, he noted.
Lending his voice, Secretary of Labour Party, Comrade Innocent Igiri, said the purpose of the meeting is to brief the local government areas chairmen secretary of happenings in the party.
He further described as criminal and outrageous the 30 million naira sales of chairmanship expression of interest and nomination forms by the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state.
He said, “At the time when people are hungry, at the time when people are suffering, at the time when you and I cannot be able to buy garri in the market. A political party that says that they are here to govern is charging 30 million.
He quried, ‘How do you want the poor man to participate? Just to have a ticket to participate in the chairmanship election of the local government, you have to pay 30 million. That is outrageous. It’s criminal. They have to be investigated”, he requested.
He added that , “If they have people who have conscience in that party, that party should be investigated. They should investigate their leadership to know why they are sucking people and they just want to stifle Nigerians. They want people to die”, he lamented.
