BY RAYMOND OZOJI, Awka

Tension is currently rising in Anambra state over what political party will dominate the legislature in the incoming 8th House of Assembly.

Although the just concluded presidential election has catapulted the Labour Party into mainstream politics in Nigeria; the performance of the party at the presidential and national assembly elections has clearly shown that surprise can indeed beat the strongest as the party’s outing in the just concluded polls has sent cold shivers down the spines of other political parties especially in Anambra state where the Labour Party is gathering momentum and set to usher in a legislature devoid of rubber stamp.

These preparatory measures were the Crux of the matter at the post mortem of the party held at Marble Arch hotel Awka to discuss the immediate past presidential and national assembly elections as well as replicate and consolidate on the gains of the party in the March 11th State House of Assembly elections.

The Labour Party chairman in Anambra state, Hon. Emeh Ugochukwu Emmanuel, who spoke with the reporter shortly after the meeting noted that the state chapter of the party had a Presidential Campaign Council meeting to take stock of the party’s outing in the February 25th elections and also to chart a new cause of action for the House of Assembly elections.

The LP’s state party chairman maintained that Labour party will dominate the legislature and usher in a new parliament that will oversight the executive and bequeath more democratic governance to Ndi-Anambra. Although he pointed out that Labour Party was not against Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo but he stated very strongly that Labour Party will take over the legislature from the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) come 11th March, 2023.

Meanwhile, Uchenna Ogbonna, who represented Orumba-North in the House of Assembly between 2007 and 2011, said candidates of the party were putting finishing touches to their electioneering activities as they were currently carrying out house to house and ward to ward campaigns to ensure that they consolidate on what the people gave Peter Obi in the just concluded presidential election.

The former House of Assembly member stressed that most of the House of Assembly candidates of the Labour Party would win landslide in Anambra-South senatorial zone especially in Orumba-North and South state constituencies.

He said APGA candidates performed abysmally and that it was time Anambra got a new legislature that would meet the yearnings and expectations of the people.

Chief Joemartins Uzodike, the Director-General Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council in Anambra, said every person contesting the House of Assembly election is from Anambra state. That finding their ways into the House of Assembly was not inimical to Soludo rather it would become big checks and balances to his government as Peter Obi needs to make a bold statement that what transpired at the presidential election was not a fluke.

Uzodike maintained that all Labour Party candidates in Anambra should go to the House of Assembly and join the governor to actualise the task of a liveable and prosperous new home state; that the legislature as presently constituted failed Anambra citizens.

Chief Charles Obiora Anueyiagu, leader of All Support Groups for Labour Party in Anambra state, said Labour Party was up for another tsunami on 11th March because Nigerians especially Anambra citizens have endorsed and accepted the party as a new political order. He said the party will repeat the magic it performed on 25th February during the House of Assembly polls.

He also said that APGA has seen the handwriting on the wall and are already developing cold feat because Labour Party according to him is unstoppable. Anueyiagu said Labour Party doesn’t fight with physical strength but with a divine mandate; that Labour Party will clinch 25 out of the 30 seats in the House of Assembly.

Henry Chidimma Mbachu, who is the Labour Party candidate for Awka-South one constituency elections, said he won his election on 25th February; that what remains on March 11th was for him to get the same number of votes Peter Obi got at the presidential election.

Mbachu said he was still sensitising the people of Okpuno and Awka to come out and vote because they have been disenchanted with the charade the Independent National Electoral Commission carried out which he said robbed Peter Obi of his victory at the presidential election.

He said Labour Party was not after Soludo or APGA but bottom line is that the party is determined to win in all constituencies in Anambra state come March 11th, 2023.

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