The visit to the national headquarters of the Labour Party (LP) by the party’s presidential candidate in last year’s elections, Mr Peter Obi, has led to reactions from the spokespersons of the latter and former.
Daily Trust reports that Obi on Tuesday visited LP’s headquarters in Abuja on a solidarity visit and was received by the party’s national chairman, Julius Abure and other party leaders.
This was seen as a change of heart of the former Anambra State governor, who shunned the party’s controversial national convention, despite it being held in his home state amidst the leadership crisis rocking the party.
However, on Wednesday, Dr Yunusa Tanko, the spokesman of Obi, said that his principal’s visit to LP was for reconciliation and not endorsement of Abure or group interest in the party as he also met with the NLC/TUC Political Arm.
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According to him, Obi had repeatedly maintained that his interest was to carry everybody along into one strong family and not to endorse anyone’s interest.
“The visit was part of the consultations Obi has been embarking on in search of peace in the party.
“In line with this, he also met with the political arm of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Wednesday in continuation of his search for peace in the party.
“At his meeting with the workers’ union, the leadership of the NLC/TUC political commission led by comrade Titus Amba and comrade Chris Uyot was also disposed to peace in the party.
“At the meeting, he clearly made the point that the party needed to reconcile all various positions in a peaceful atmosphere to have a united house that should be all-inclusive,” Tanko said.
He said that the LP’s standards bearer also plans to meet with other critical stakeholders like the Obidient to have an all-inclusive political family with a common dream of rescuing Nigeria.
Also speaking, the LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, insisted that Obi and Abure are on the same page over reconciliation in the party and warned against twisting the well-intentioned visit of Obi.
“As a party, we are pleased that our leader has chosen to reconcile all aggrieved members and stakeholders of the party. This noble step taken by Mr. Obi is in line with the call made by the LP’s National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure during his maiden press conference last week titled ‘Triumphant Resumption of Abure led NWC’ wherein he pleaded with all the warring parties including the NLC to sheath their swords and join in the rebuilding process in the party.
“Peter Obi’s visit and speech on Tuesday during the FCT solidarity rally has been variedly described in some quarters as an endorsement on the Abure leadership being his very first visit after the successful National Convention of the party held in March,” Ifoh said.
He said the party cherished the visit on whatever nomenclature as a positive wind blowing on the party.
He said, “We believe that very soon, the reconciliatory efforts will be consummated and metamorphose into a political force that will usher in a government that will liberate Nigerians from the shackles of maladministration we are presently facing in the country.
“We urge the NLC and its Political Commission to understand that we are not the foe and to see us as an ally in the battle to rescue Nigeria. They should emulate the TUC which has shown greater understanding and willingness to partner with the LP in our efforts to make a new Nigeria possible.”
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