*Explains Why Igbo Were Appointed Coordinators For Lagos, Sokoto
*Removes NLC, TUC Presidents From Obi’s Campaign Council
Barely 24 hours after, Labour Party, on Thursday, promised to review the list of members of its Presidential Campaign Council and make necessary corrections.
The party was reacting to criticisms generated by the appointment of a former Army spokesperson, Major General John Enenche (retd.), into the Presidential Advisory Council of its PCC.
Enenche, a former Director of Defence Information, who made the 1,234-man Obi-Datti campaign team as a member of the PAC from the North-Central, had claimed that the killing of #EndSARS protesters in 2020 at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos was false.
The ex-General had reportedly claimed that the Instagram live footage of DJ Switch, which showed #EndSARS protesters dying from bullets of soldiers from Nigerian Army was photoshopped.
The video of his claims had surfaced again on Twitter nearly two years after the gruesome incident where men in military uniform invaded the venue of the protest in Lekki and shot at people.
Recall that controversy had trailed the list of Presidential Campaign Team of Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, with allegation of marginalisation of other ethnic groups in favour of the South-East.
For instance, critics faulted the choice of appointment of Igbo as state coordinators for Lagos and Sokoto states.
Also, a United States-based Professor and social commentator, Farooq Kperogi, had faulted the Labour Party campaign list, saying the party was not different from the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party.
Kperogi said, “The inclusion of Enenche on Obi’s campaign list is significant because the core of Obi’s youthful supporters who’re engaged because they’re enraged are drawn from #EndSARS agitators for whom the cover-up of the massacre of protesters in Lekki is a sore point.
“To put a denier of the mass massacre of their comrades in the campaign council of a candidate they support and campaign for is both insensitive and disrespectful.
“And why does a campaign that is fuelled by a desire for difference need nearly 1,300 people to sit in a council? That’s unwieldy. How is it different from the APC and PDP? In fact, APC and PDP are better. APC’s initial list was just 422 and PDP’s was 520.”
But responding to the allegation, the chief spokesman for the campaign council, Yunusa Tanko on Thursday evening, stated that the council had noted the “issues raised” about the list released.
In a terse tweet, Tanko said: “The Campaign Council in synergy with the Labour Party have noted all the issues raised on Obi-Datti Campaign Council list released on the 12th October, 2022.
“We assure you we will do the needful and an updated list will be released soon.”
Meanwhile, The National Chairman of the party, Barr Julius Abure, also during a briefing at the end of an expanded National Working Committee meeting of the party on Thursday in Abuja.
Abure, who read the communique of the meeting, announced the removal of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba and the President of the Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo from the campaign council.
The communique reads: “It is in the strength of the above that the Presidential Campaign Council has been duly announced with representation across all States, Tribes and Faith. The Labour Party hereby announces the endorsement of the Campaign Council. However, we acknowledge some omissions and misplacement of some names in the Campaign Council which will be corrected and a supplementary list released before the inauguration of the Council. Also corrected, is the inclusion of NCfront, NLC and TUC members in the Campaign list.
“Labour Party is fully ready, and all parameters to prosecute the election in 2023 has been put in place and as of moment we are consolidating the momentum that will help us establish a new Nigeria come may 29th 2023. We also further make it clear that the Labour Party enjoys a robust relationship with the new Campaign Council.
“The Party reiterates its commitment to gender, youth and social inclusion in all facets of its political aspects and operations.
“NWC in session condemn in strong terms, the incessant attack on Labour Party members and supporters during peaceful solidarity marches in places like Kano State, Kaduna State, Plateau State Enugu State, Ebonyi State and Katsina State by either the Police, thugs of the APC and NNPP political parties, or some nefarious elements of the Ebubeagu vigilante in Imo State and Ebonyi State. It is surprising that the perpetrators of this shameful and inhuman act are yet to be arrested and persecuted in line with the laws. NWC in session therefore insists that the Federal Government and the law enforcement agencies must as a matter of duty fish out these hoodlums and get them prosecuted.
“While thanking the Independent National Commission INEC for modalities put in place so far to ensure free and fair election in the Country, we however urge the Commission to facilitate the timely printing and distribution of PVCs to enable Nigerians vote the Candidates of their Choice.
“It was also placed before the NWC in session that it is in the news media and other information links that attempts are being clandestinely made by the opposition in collusion with the Federal Government to put INEC under pressure with a view to deactivate the BVAS. NWC in session viewed this criminal tendency with every seriousness and vowed to resist such electoral malfeasance.
“The Labour Party takes notice of the recent flooding in various places like Bayelsa, Kogi, Bauchi, Jigawa States to mention but few and Empathize with Nigerians affected by the flood. It is in this direction that the Labour Party is vehemently concerted to ensuring that this sad development in our Country no longer occurs when His Excellency Peter Obi becomes the President of this Country in 2023.
“The Labour Party thanks all the support groups and encourages them to continue with the good intention for our Party.”
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