The 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, expressed strong confidence on Wednesday that the party will successfully navigate through its current internal crisis and come out stronger.
This statement came amidst growing tensions within the party, notably an ongoing conflict with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over leadership issues.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Obi acknowledged the internal challenges but placed them in context compared to the difficulties facing Nigeria’s major political parties, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“The internal crisis in the LP pales in comparison to the problems the APC and PDP are grappling with,” Obi said.
The LP has been embroiled in a contentious struggle as the NLC attempts to unseat its National Chairman, Julius Abure.
This power tussle has raised concerns about the stability and future direction of the party, which gained significant traction in the recent presidential election due to Obi’s popularity among young and urban voters.
Despite these challenges, Obi remains optimistic about the party’s resilience and future prospects. “The Labour Party will push all the issues behind it and emerge stronger,” he asserted, indicating a forward-looking strategy to resolve the party’s internal conflicts.
He said, “I can tell you that the issue will be solved. Let me tell you, the abnormalities you imagined in the Labour Party is a child’s play when compared to what is happening in the other two parties (APC and PDP). It is far worse. But it is something that can be dealt with. We are dealing with a system. Every system has its flaws and it can be managed. Yes, things went wrong. But I can assure you, we will deal with it.
“It is sad that we are always concerned about only parties. We are not even concerned with what ought to be our main concern for now, which is the future of the people. For now, let us focus on the poor people of Nigeria. That is where my focus lies.
“The next election will come in 2027. Nobody knows who will contest or emerge in 2027. For now, I am more interested in dealing with issues that affect ordinary Nigerians.”
Obi also said he was not obsessed about replacing President Bola Tinubu as the next president, as being speculated.
Obi came under fire a few days ago after he faulted the Federal Government’s timing and prioritisation of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project.
The LP presidential candidate advised that the government should concentrate on fixing bad roads across Nigeria instead of striving to construct a white elephant project like the major coastal road.
But some critics trolled him on social media, saying he does not see anything good in what the current administration does because of his desperation to become the president in 2027
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, Obi expressed his disappointment, stressing that some people often shy away from discussing pressing issues plaguing the country.
He said, “We live in a system where public officeholders and politicians are only seen during elections. I can tell you that it is an everyday job. I have said it several times that I am not desperate to become the President of Nigeria. But I am desperate to see the poor and underprivileged Nigerians being pulled out of their difficult situation daily.
“That is what I am desperate to see. And all of us can do it as well. You can’t even be happy or fulfilled when several million (Nigerians) don’t know where the next meal will come from. When I see children suffering, it increases my pain. This is not about campaign.”
Obi also disclosed that if he were to become President, he would do things differently by focusing on repairing existing roads as against approving contracts for new ones.
While analysing how deplorable some major highways, such as Lagos-Badagry and Kano-Kaduna, had become, the politician insisted that those projects should be the priority of any serious government.
“If I were to be the President of Nigeria today, nobody would think of any new road until we finish the existing ones. In this country, we are always trying to do things anyhow. Today, you can’t move from Lagos to Badagry, a short period of less than 100 kilometres. It has been under construction for several years. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has also not been completed for several years.
“The same thing applies to the Kano-Kaduna, Kano-Maiduguri and Sokoto-Funtua. I can even show you the state of all the roads from Kaduna to Abuja. In Kaduna bypass alone, you can queue for hours. You can’t even drive comfortably from Abuja to Okene to Auchi and Benin. It is almost impossible.
“These are roads that are already existing and in dire need of repairs for years. That is where we need to put our resources and deal with it. We already have a network of roads that need fixing. Why are people introducing things when the existing ones are in bad shape? When I was governor of Anambra State, I started by completing the roads started by my predecessor before thinking of doing new ones. For me, this is the critical area that needs attention and that is where I will concentrate,” he stated.
