By Uche Amunike
The Labour Party (LP), has announced her 1,234-member campaign team for the 2023 Presidential election, Wednesday, during an event in Abuja, with Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Mohammed Zarewa named as Chairman, while former Media Aide to Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe,was named as Campaign Director General (DG).
Speaking during the event, which was themed ‘Pre-Campaign World Press Conference’ and majorly attended by supporters of Mr Peter Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, the Secretary of Labour Party, Umar Farouk, stated that the list of members of the campaign team was drawn from the six geo-political zone including People Living with Disabilities.
Clement Ojukwu was listed as the Secretary of the team, while Yunusa Tanko became Chief Spokesperson
During his speech, Doyin Okupe lauded Nigerians for their renewed love and support for Mr Obi and the Labour Party, ahead of the general election. He also criticized the 2023 budget presentation by President Buhari, to the National Assembly last week, where he stated that the N20.5 trillion would take care of some of the challenges being faced by the country. Okupe insisted that if the ruling APC remained in power, Nigerians will face more hardship in the future.
His words: ‘President Buhari has just presented the 2022/23 budget to the National assembly and in that document, it can be seen that of the 20.5 trillion naira, totally budgeted, actual revenue available to fund the budget is 9.73 trillion naira, leaving a deficit of almost 11 trillion naira, with fuel subsidy alone, gulping 3.6 trillion naira, in the first six months of next year.’
‘In effect, this means that the present economic situation, as it affects the common people, is not likely to abate and I say this not in exaggeration or to heighten fears, but in vivid and responsible assessment of the stark reality’.
He went on to describe the candidacy of Bola Tinubu as one that was fundamentally flawed, especially with the fact that they opted for a Muslim-Muslim ticket. As for the process that produced Atiku Abubakar as the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), he described it as ‘unjust and dishonorable’.
Hear him: ‘The PDP candidate is a product of an unjust and dishonourable process, that clearly violates the equitable rights of the entire southern Nigeria, and the desire for balance in presidential power already enshrined in the constitution and history of that party, which was shamelessly subverted by subterfuge, and indeed anything built on injustice, ungodliness and evil conspiracy, can never stand.’
‘As for the APC, the presidential candidacy is fundamentally flawed, through the adoption of a skewed and insensitive muslim-muslim ticket despite all objections across religious lines in a highly religiously sensitive country like Nigeria at a time where all reason calls for maturity, fairness, equity, justice and balance, for the good of the country’, Doyin Okupe said.
In response to arguments about Peter Obi not having a political structure and being restricted to a social media support base, the DG challenged the two leading parties and their supporters to get ready for the political tsunami that will wipe them off the political space in the coming election. According to him, Obi already recorded a minimum of 15 million votes , according to records from INEC after its Continuous Voter Registration.
Mr Peter Obi, who was confirmed to be at the ICAN 52nd Annual Accountants Conference was not in attendance. His running mate, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed did not also attend the event.
