𝑼𝒏𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚’𝒔 𝒉𝒚𝒑𝒐𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑶𝒛𝒊𝒈𝒃𝒐’𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒕.

By Arthur Ezechukwu

I recently read an article where the Labour Party conducted itself in an unprofessional and disturbing manner, through the national publicity secretary, while attempting to demarket the person of Mr. Valentine C Ozigbo

It amazes me and somewhat unimaginable, that a political party which has neither relevance nor the strength of character in it’s history and leadership, could muster the impetus to go into false narratives and character assassination to save face.

I am talking about a party which Nigerians never knew existed until H.E Mr Peter Obi chose it as his choice vehicle for the 2023 presidential election. This singular decision of Mr Peter Obi, brought the obscure and internally disorganised party into the limelight. A party so confused that it was already having factions in leadership before Okwute came into the picture.

Terrible!

There was no sense of direction whatsoever, just an already existing power tussle. What were they fighting for? This is a clear indication of the greed that is deep-seethed in the veins of the leadership of this party.

A greed that would eventually manifest when they made a desperate attempt to seize and control the Obidient Movement. An organic movement that originated from the comradery shared and experienced by Nigerian youths, during the #EndSars protest. The Obidient Movement became a physical manifestation of the unspoken desire of Nigerian youths, for a representative and transparent leadership.

Even in the face of the support that Mr Peter Obi’s entry garnered for the party, it didn’t stop the dubious and double faced national officers of the party from seeking ways to exploit and bankrupt Mr. Peter Obi. This created a tense environment which heated confrontation between warring factions of the party.

This is a testament to the fact that the Labour Party will soon fizzle out into obscurity as quickly as it became known.

Frankly speaking, I do not see Mr. Peter Obi vying for the presidency under a failed and disgruntled party such as this, in 2027.

If the Labour Party was an animal, it would be a pig. Regardless of how much you bathe a pig, it will still soil itself in a “Murky Water”.

Nigeria watched as the National Chairman of the party had his “ass” handed to him on national television and the courts for gross mismanagement of funds. A track record that he had already racked up, before the presidential election.

We are talking about a party that could not protect it’s gubernatorial candidate in the Anambra State 2021 election, they do not even make mention of this candidate whom his whereabouts remain unknown till this day. This same party has the audacity to send a “washed up” publicity secretary on a witch hunt against Mr Valentine Ozigbo.

When Mr Ozigbo left PDP for the Labour Party, he did so the basis of his loyalty and deep respect for H.E Mr Peter Obi. It was not because of the Labour Party, as he categorically stated in a private meeting with his most trusted supporters, before he tendered his resignation to his PDP ward chairman.

It became obvious that the Labour Party and Mr Peter Obi’s presidential organisation needed Mr. Ozigbo more than he needed them. He would soon be appointed as a special adviser to the presidential candidate on “Technology and Strategic Alliances”. Valentine Ozigbo joined the presidential campaign trail of Mr Peter Obi at his own expense. He even offered his entire media paraphernalia to the presidential campaign organisation, while still bearing the immediate costs.

It was Mr Ozigbo who pushed for the development and deployment of the Townhall app, a tool whose aim was to engineer harmony and coordination the Obidient Movement by providing a platform for conversations, down to the polling unit levels.

Unfortunately, Labour Party in their usual way and greed for money found a way to frustrate the process.

I am quite certain that the “washed up” national publicity secretary who energetically defended the sham of a national convention they concocted at Nnewi obviously suffers from a brain illness, since he appears to have forgotten the numerous roles Mr Ozigbo played during the various governorship elections in Imo State and Bayelsa State. Mr Ozigbo was unanimously appointed by the party to serve as the secretary of the election primaries committee, where he officiated alongside H.E Dr. Alex Otti, the chairman.

In Anambra State, Mr Ozigbo extended an unfettered support to the Labour Party Federal and State House of Assembly Aspirants and Candidates. He would convene meetings and be present at meetings as a way of encouraging and supporting them. Mr Val didn’t spare time or money in backing the Anambra State House of Assembly candidates. He would go to the extent of us helping them set up polling unit agents on the election day with his own money.

Why is the Labour Party disgruntled that Mr Ozigbo left their sinking ship? Today we see videos of their clueless NWC boasting about how many National Assembly members they have, but I can confidently tell you that in no distant time, they will resign for other parties.

Mr Ozigbo was the only reason the Labour Party in Anambra State, was considered relevant. Mr Val understood his capacity and just like H.E Mr Peter Obi, he knew that he would be failing a generation if he denied them the opportunity of having a better option, to a government that is building infrastructure but cannot secure the lives of it’s people.

My advice is that the party should bear their loss in good faith. Their leadership should also do an in-house cleansing, starting from the national chairman and the confused publicity secretary who knows nothing about politics and governance.

I would have advised that they recalled all their governorship aspirants and do them a favour by not wasting their time and money, but I am certain that the NWC has already designed a well crafted plot on how to “mismanage their funds” and lose the election.

Just a classic Labour Party, obscure to obscure. No shame, no integrity. Simply a pig in murky water.