AHEAD of the March 11 governorship and state assemblies’ elections, the national leadership of the Labour Party (LP) says it has not formed an alliance with any political party.
LP National Chairman, Julius Abure in a statement on Tuesday, urged “millions of the electorate who believe in LP presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi” also known as ‘Obidients’ to vote the party’s candidates in Saturday’s governorship and state assemblies’ polls.
Abure said the Labour Party is leaving nothing to chance in ensuring that its candidates not only participate, but win at the ballot.
“This call becomes necessary given reports from some political opportunists from other political platforms, claiming that they have reached an agreement with Obidients and LP supporters to cast their ballots for them in this Saturday’s polls,” he stated.
“We want to state categorically and unequivocally that the national secretariat of LP has not given any instructions for any chapter of the party to liaise or support any candidate except LP candidates in this Saturday’s polls.
“Our members should not only go out and vote, but follow the process to a conclusive end as provided by the Law.
“We encourage millions of the electorate who believe in LP presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi and the philosophy of the party not to be deterred, but troop out en masse and vote for all LP candidates anywhere in the country. The LP is not in any alliance with any political party in the run-up to this Saturday’s polls.”
The Labour Party, now adjudged as the third force, has fielded candidates in the governorship elections to hold in 28 states on Saturday. The party also has candidates for the 36 state assemblies. The LP also seems to be gradually making inroads into mainstream politics as the party got six Senate and 34 House of Representatives seats in the February 25 National Assembly (NASS) elections of February 25 poll.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu polled 8,794,726 and was declared President-Elect 4am Wednesday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The former Lagos State governor came out tops in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states, and secured significant numbers in several other states to claim the highest number of votes — 8,794,726, almost two million votes more than his closest rival — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku, 76, who has now run for president six times, got 6,984,520 votes, while Obi, who, in less than a year, galvanised young voters in a manner some have described as unprecedented finished the race with 6,101,533.
By his victory, APC’s President Muhammadu Buhari will hand over to his partyman, Tinubu after the expiration of his eight-year two-term on May 29, 2023.
