Peter Obi Says Federal Government Behind Crisis Rocking Labour Party

The Labour Party (LP) candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi, has accused the federal government of being behind the crisis currently rocking his party.

In an interview on Arise News Prime Time on Tuesday, Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, claimed that the ongoing disarray within the Labour Party was being orchestrated by the government.

“The disarray in the LP is caused by the Federal Government. Yes, I am in the Labour Party. If anything changes, I will let you know,” Obi said.

He further explained that for the Nigerian political system to work, the government must practice true democracy, even when it does not work in its favor.

“If the government is democratic, all these things will work. You have to say you are democratic, practice it, and believe it, whether it works for you or not. What is happening in Nigeria can be turned around with a competent leader,” Obi added.

Obi did not hold back in his criticism of the current administration. He accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of intimidating the opposition, stating that Nigeria’s political environment is not designed to accommodate opposition parties.

Obi particularly condemned the handling of the political situation in Rivers State, which led to the declaration of a state of emergency.

“What happened in Rivers State was unfortunate as some people made the state ungovernable for political reasons and interests. The declaration of a state of emergency impacts negatively on the little inkling of democracy that we have,” Obi said.

He also pointed out the lack of democratic freedoms in the country, noting, “There is no democracy without a functional legislature and an independent judiciary. There is no freedom of speech as people are in detention for what they say. I am also harassed every day.”

Obi criticized the political system in Nigeria, comparing it unfavorably with South Africa’s, which also operates a presidential system.

He lamented that in Nigeria, the opposition is not allowed to thrive. He noted, “People say look at South Africa, they have a presidential system like ours. But the difference is they allow their opposition to thrive. There is a proportional representation of the opposition in the legislature and this makes the opposition thrive.”

He called for constitutional reform, stating, “In those countries, you cannot cross from one party to another without consequences. You lose your seat if you do so. That is why we want a change in the Constitution so as to build a viable system.”

Obi concluded by stating that if he were president, he would ensure that Nigeria becomes a true democracy where the opposition can function effectively.

“If I were president, I would make sure the country is democratic and the opposition thrives. Parties should function the way they should. There is a need to fix this democracy. Musa Yar’Adua started it until his demise,” Obi said.