The internal crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) took a dramatic turn on Thursday as one of its factional national chairmen, Callistus Okafor, announced his exit from the party.
Okafor cited unresolved leadership tussles and disappointment with the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Okafor, who addressed a press conference in Abuja, said the decision followed extensive deliberations by his faction’s National Working Committee and National Executive Council.
“My team and I had carefully looked at what is happening in the Labour Party, including the crises that have been going on for seven years, and wondered how long it will continue,” he said.
He claimed to be leaving with an estimated five million supporters and declared his new destination to be Team Wazobia Nigeria, a socio-political and non-partisan movement.
“I hereby stand today to announce to Nigerians and all the Labour Party faithful who are under my own faction that we are pulling out today as a team,” he said.
“We are moving from the Labour Party to Team Wazobia Nigeria. This crisis has come to a point where it’s no longer healthy in the Labour Party.”
Okafor blamed Obi for failing to resolve the lingering leadership crisis, saying his inaction raised questions about his capacity to govern a country like Nigeria.
“When His Excellency Peter Obi joined us in 2022, what did he do? He supported Abure, who has become his archenemy today.
He supported him in everything he did despite the warning by our former National Treasurer, Ms Oluchi Opara, about his several embezzlements of Labour Party money,” he said.
“This is the time for reality. So, if he can’t govern the Labour Party, for me, he can’t govern Nigeria. And that is why I have to leave.”
Okafor ruled out returning to the Peoples Democratic Party, saying, “You can see their governors and National Assembly members defecting every day into APC. What it means is that APC is the appealing party as of today.”
@ Vanguard News
Discussion about this post