Exclusive: Labour Party Is In Stage 4 Cancer – Tony Nwulu

A former Deputy Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Imo State, Tony Chinedu Nwulu, has said the leadership crisis in the party may not be ending soon.

Naijaonpoint reported that the Imo State former member of the House of Representatives tendered his resignation from the Labour Party citing a leadership crisis last week.

In an exclusive interview with Naijaonpoint on Saturday, the former lawmaker who represented Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 2, between 2015-2019, said underhands are fanning the crisis in the party.

Defections Not Out Of Disbelive In Usman’s Caretaker Committee’s Ability

Nwulu said his defection from the Labour Party and that of others was not a result of a lack of confidence in the ability of Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee.

He stated that Mrs. Usman has the capacity but the leadership crisis was already in its extreme stage.

His words: “I wouldn’t say the Nenadi Usman’s committee is not doing the right job. But you see, the problem, Labour Party, I would say, is already in stage 4 cancer. It’s already in a stage 4 cancer, quite frankly.

“Labour Party is already in a stage four cancer, and what Nenadi Usman and the rest, are trying to do, is more like they’re trying to, it’s trying to see how they can remediate the cancer. They’re only trying to see how to remediate the cancer, but it’s far eating deep.

“Nenadi Usman is an amazing woman with sterling leadership, abilities and her team; the entire Caretaker team, they know what they are doing. But it’s more like when you place, like I said, when you place a cancer patients to stage 4 cancer in the hands of the doctor.

“It’s either they are trying new medical breakthroughs on the person to see if it would remediate the spread of the cancer. But then while you’re doing that, you’re also sure that you cannot you cannot predict what will happen the next time.

“So in best instances, the doctors will tell you just prepare, make this. You have x y z or number of days to live, months to live, the case might be. Unless, of course, there is a divine intervention; which I don’t think God is in the interest of divinely intervening in Nigeria politics, at the moment. So it’s not a Nenadi Usman’s leadership problem.

“Then let me also tell you another thing. The situation, we found ourselves when I was in Labour Party is such that…I will give props to the Caretaker because they inherited something that is already decaying.

“They inherited something that is already decaying so much. Damage has been done to the integrity of the party by the people saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the ideals, the objectives of the party stands. I think that’s just it.”

There Is Underhand In LP’s Crisis, It Started With Abure

The former Imo State LP’s deputy governorship candidate disclosed that the party’s crisis continued to linger because some persons were fanning the embers.

“So it’s like the proverbial hands of hands of Jacob or the voice Esau. So that is what you see happening there. Or when someone is dancing on the road, then there is a drum hidden somewhere in the forest. That is the case of Labour Party. You have the voice of Jacob and the hands of Esua.

“That is what you have there now. So when you see them dancing, celebrating on the road, there’s someone hitting the drum. ,” he said.

According to him, the party’s crisis started with Julius Abure’s executive. He explained that Senator Usman’s committee was an intervention committee.

“This started from the time of Abure. Not now. This started from the time of Abure. Like I said, Nenadi Usman is an interventionist committee. They are there to intervene. They are there to remediate. They are there to stop the… But you see, this has gone through several layers,” he stated.

Do You Have APC As an Option?

Honourable Nwulu said though he has not made up his mind on the party to enter, he was in talks with parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Well, at the moment, I really cannot categorically rule out any, I can’t rule out any. We’re talking. We’re up. We’re talking.

“We’re discussing. We are talking at the moment. So whichever one, it is in the in the coming days we would know. I’ll make that known,” he stated.

Does APC’s Ideology Align With Your Political Ideology?

The former LP chieftain said all political parties in the country have sound ideologies. According to him, the problem with Nigeria’s political parties is individuals in the party.

His words: “The funny thing is that almost all political parties, almost all political parties in this country have very wonderful ideologies. So I don’t think it’s much about the ideologies than it is about the individuals in the party. So let’s not get it wrong. The problem with Labour Party is not Labour Party.

“The problem with Labour Party is the people that are saddled with the leadership in Labour Party.
So the same thing goes with, trying to understand exactly, what the leadership is in any party that you’re going into. The party is like a school building. The difference is the teachers. A party is like a hospital building. What makes the difference is the expertise of the doctors or the teachers as the case might be in these two instances.

“So if you have an amazing edifice at the hospital and then you’re saddled with quack doctors, nothing will happen. Nothing will change.

“So we should begin to look at, question the character of the people that are in institutions, not the institution itself. A party is the vehicle. The party is the vehicle. The difference is who is driving the vehicle. Who are the drivers of the vehicle? Are they drunk drivers?

“If they are drunk drivers, no matter what car you give them, they are going crash it. No matter what you give them, they will crash it. No matter how sophisticated, how well equipped the vehicle is with all the detections and sensors, they will crash it. You can’t give the keys to a drunk person and expect to have a safe a safe arrival anywhere. It can’t happen.

“So it’s not the vehicle that is the problem in most cases. It’s you the driver of the vehicle.
So the party is not… all the parties in Nigeria have lofty ideologies, amazing ideologies. But the question is, those people that are at the helm of affairs, the leadership of the party, they are doing it right? For me, I would rather align with any party that has the best objectives or the leadership strongly aligns with Nigerian youth.

“Yes. I would rather align with any party that has the strongest support, visible support for Nigerian youth. That’s my key issue here. It’s not about me.

“I have lots of supporters, and they are all looking up to me. Where do…what’s gonna happen? So the best is to negotiate somewhere that I know would help them realize their lifetime ambition.”

Would You Advise Peter Obi to Leave Labour Party?

Nwulu said if the former presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi, wished to see his ambition of a good Nigeria come true, he knew what he should do.

His words: “To be honest with you, I cannot answer for Obi. I am not Obi’s spokesperson, I’m not his adviser. I am sure being, a seasoned politician, that also has ambition to see the good of this country, I don’t see him not, not knowing what to do. I can’t be the one telling him what to do.”

My Interest Is To See Nigeria Work For Youths

The former Green Chamber member stressed that his desire remained to see a Nigeria that works for the youths. He added that the time had come for the country to provide an enabling environment for the youths to thrive.

His words: “Emphasis on everything I do is on the young people. The world is moving to AI, moving to nanotechnology, moving to robotics. So, whatever thing we’re talking about now, we should be able to prepare our nation to be able to match all other developed countries. You see what the young people are doing.

“So many youth are doing a lot in this country at the moment. I think whatever thing we do, we should be able we should be able to focus on those ideals. And see that we were able to impact truly on Nigerian youths and create an enabling environment for them to even thrive more because they have a lot to offer.”