The Interim National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Darlington Nwokocha, has distanced the party from any coalition aimed at unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television on Friday, Nwokocha stated that the party is not aware of any coalition involving opposition figures such as Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, and others under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He asserted that while Obi remains a respected party member, his association with the coalition does not imply that the party is joining the coalition.
Nwokocha said, “Well, I don’t know about that, and I don’t know if we are in the ring; they’ve not told me that.
“When you talk about a coalition, the Labour Party already has the machinery of an internal coalition. The Labour Party is getting extremely stronger.
“Peter Obi is an individual. We respect him because he was our flagbearer for 2023, like every other person.
“We give him that respect. Even if he decides to move around, that does not mean that he has joined ADC or whatever. He is a mature person who should interact freely, and cross-pollination of ideas is allowed.”
Addressing the leadership crisis within the Labour Party, Nwokocha affirmed that Julius Abure’s tenure as National Chairman had expired and cited a “political accident” as the reason for the emergence of the interim leadership.
“Of course, Abure was our National Chairman. Once your tenure expires, forget about everything. And moreover, if you have some political accident and it becomes fatal, that is why the interim National Working Committee comes in.
“Because the tenure expired, there is no other thing to do than to bring in an interim committee. The party cannot operate in a vacuum,” the interim National Secretary said.
When asked if he was worried that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) still recognises Abure as chairman on its portal, Nwokocha replied, “That you place your picture in a place does not make you the owner of the place.
“Have they (INEC) allowed him to attend any meetings? They’ve never allowed him. He has tried all processes to go into the meetings, but they’ve never allowed him.”
Responding to a question on the role of Abia State Governor Alex Otti in Friday’s NEC meeting, he clarified that Otti was a legitimate member of the NEC under the party’s constitution.
“He is a member of NEC. Constitutions differ, and there are peculiarities. In the Labour Party constitution, after the National Convention, the next organ is the NEC, followed by the NWC.
“In the absence of the National Working Committee, which is the administrative arm, now it’s the NEC. What makes up the NEC, since the total sack of the National Working Committee, are: three persons from the EUC, three from the NLC, and any elected governor and their deputy.
“These are statutory members of the National Convention. In the hierarchy of our constitution, after the National Convention is the NEC, where Otti belongs,” he said.