States chairmen of the Labour Party have accused the party’s presidential candidate Peter Obi of neglect ahead of Saturday’s presidential election, opening a fresh vacuum that may impact the party’s chances at the poll.
The aggrieved states chairmen led by Sani Abdulsalam, the Gombe state LP chairman and coordinating chairman for the 36 states, made this known during a press conference in Abuja.
Other LP bigwigs including Mohammed Alkali, the national vice chairman, northeast, Ibrahim Bukar, the Yobe state chairman, graced the press conference in support of Abdulsalam’s claim that Obi failed to recognize the important role of the 36 state chapters’ leadership, choosing rather to work with cronies and support groups.
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He alleged that money meant for the mobilization of poll agents was withheld by the national chairman, Julius Abure, on the excuse that Obi has no confidence in the states chairmen.
Abdulsalam said based on this, Obi cannot win this election since all party executives have been sidelined.
“I speak on behalf of 36 state chairmen of our party in my capacity as the coordinating chairman. We have never been respected by the party leadership and also our presidential candidate has no respect for our party executives at state levels because Peter Obi deliberately mismanaged our good will with the imposition of his members and other support groups that decamped with him in May 2022 to our party.
“Of note, Wednesday the 22nd day of February 2023 was the meeting we had with the national chairman, Julius Abure in the party head office where discussion was held about the logistics support for state chapters and national officers towards effective mobilization of our members for the presidential and National Assembly election on Saturday 25th February 2023.
“To our surprise, the national chairman Julius Abure said the presidential candidate Peter Obi has no confidence in all the 36 state chapters’ leadership but would rather choose to work with their cronies and support group that came with him.
“The greatest shock from the national chairman, Julius ABURE was that money for agents will not be sent to any state chairman or national officers except those three NWC members including a woman and that all state chairmen and 19 other members already picked by Mr Peter Obi himself will be given monies meant for party agents and alert will be received by 10 pm tonight Wednesday the 22nd day of February 2023.
“As of tonight, no alert has been received by any state chairman and information reaching us confirmed that money was paid based on ethnic and religious consideration because only persons of a particular ethnic group currently run the campaign of Peter Obi in cohort with the national chairman.
“As members of the Labour Party National Executive and National Working Committee (NWC), it is our considered opinion and informed conclusion that Peter Obi cannot win this election since all party executives have been sidelined. He is not ready and is grossly ill-prepared for the Presidential race,” he said.