…By Dorcas Funmi for TDPel Media. The meeting held between Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi and lawmakers elected on the party’s platform has sparked controversy regarding the leadership tussle of the yet-to-be-inaugurated 10th National Assembly.
Supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates, Tajudeen Abass and Godswill Akpabio, claim that Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, are endorsing Muktar Aliyu Betara for the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Abdulaziz Yari for Senate President.
Accusations of LP Leaders Influencing Members-Elect
A member of the Labour Party has accused the party’s leaders of instructing members-elect to vote against Akpabio and Abass.
According to the source, Datti Baba-Ahmed informed them that they should not support the APC-endorsed candidates, alleging that Abbas was endorsed to suppress him, and Benjamin Kalu was endorsed to suppress Alex Otti in Abia State.
A meeting held at Chopsticks resulted in a stalemate.
Another meeting, where Obi was present, took place on Monday at Zone 5.
It was claimed that Obi endorsed Yari for Senate President and Betara for Speaker, and he compelled all LP members-elect to vote for them.
Divisions within LP and Allegations against Obi
The source further expressed dissatisfaction with Obi’s actions, stating that he was forcing them to align with his choices and emphasizing that LP members should have the freedom to make their own decisions.
The source raised concerns about Obi’s shift from being perceived as a democrat to allegedly behaving undemocratically.
Plans for another meeting were mentioned, which some members-elect were prepared to resist.
They questioned how they could support someone who was rebelling against his own party.
Denial of Allegations by LP Member and House Minority Caucus Spokesperson
In response to the allegations, a prominent LP member and spokesperson of the House Minority Caucus, Victor Ogene, dismissed the claims as baseless.
Ogene clarified that the meeting was called by the party’s leadership and not specifically by Peter Obi.
He stated that Obi did not mention any candidate’s name during the meeting.
Ogene emphasized that Obi’s advice to the members was to ensure unity in arriving at a decision regarding the selection of presiding officers.
He highlighted that Obi’s speech did not endorse any specific aspirant and encouraged members to continue discussing among themselves under the guidance of the national chairman and caucus leader.
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