Labour party Presidential candidate and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has been advised to be wary of many displaced politicians, particularly those who lost primaries in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Imo State, who hurriedly joined the Labour party, hoping to ride on his (Obi’s) popularity, to win elections in 2023.
Mr Obi is the presidential flag-bearer of the LP . He had dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, few days to the party’s Presidential Primary.
Since Obi emerged the LP presidential candidate, many politicians particularly those who lost Senatorial, House of Reps and State Assembly tickets in the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South East, have joined the LP in droves.
Among them include Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi, who was defeated in the PDP Imo East Senatorial primary. He has been listed as LP candidate for Imo East Senatorial zone in the 2023 elections.
The LP is gradually emerging a fourth force for the next general elections, because of its soaring popularity in the South East, which can be attributed to two factors, Obi’s entrance into the party and after the PDP and APC conceded its Presidential tickets to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu respectively.
Mr Jones Onwusoanya, an Imo State based political analyst, in an article, expressed worry over the influx of “political opportunists” to the Labour party, with the aim of riding on Obi’s popularity to win elections.
“Ask 90% of current holders of LP tickets across the federation and you shouldn’t be shocked to know that they don’t know a thing about the Labour Party or what it stands for.
“These are power crazy, lousy, ideas deficient and corrupt political opportunists who are looking for any available and easy train to take them to political offices.
“90% of LP candidates for National Assembly and gubernatorial elections are worst than those PDP and APC candidates they tell you they want to replace
“These people will campaign on the popularity of Peter Obi, but they are stark opposites of what Peter Obi represents. But a lot of those supporting Peter Obi will most likely vote for those individuals, especially in the South East. And I tell you, why this is dangerous.
He wrote further, “Peter Obi’s chances of winning the Presidency on the LP platform is below 25%. But he will make a significant impact in the South East and probably take some LGAs or even some States, but, there is a high likelihood that the LP banking on his popularity might pick a few National and State Assembly seats, especially in the South East.
“If we make the mistake of voting for LP all because Peter Obi is on the ticket, we will be putting the South East in a very bad political situation. We will be sending opportunists, who probably have no ideas of lawmaking nor any passion for the good of their people, to the National Assembly” he stated.
