The Labour party has come to be the third force in Nigeria democratic space. At the begining, it was regarded as a fluke, a no structure organization; without spread across the nation. But the announced results of the February 25th 2023 elections have shown the organic spread of the Labour Party in Nigeria.
The fate of the Labour Party in Nigeria is the same with the Labour Party in Imo state which is our case study for this essay. In the begining in Imo, nobody especially the goons and aparatchik of government never gave the Party a chance. They dismissed the motley adherents as beginners who cannot understand the impetus of a political party heading for elections. But alas at the end of the announced results, the Labour Party became like nominal directors who did not put down any more in the blossoming company but have reaped multiple dividends. Do you understand?
Having understood these dynamics that played out at the 25th February elections, the stage is now set for the party leadership and its organic followership to manage its announced and real successes. Take a read of the successes of the Labour Party in Imo state. One Senate seat, two House of Representatives and large following clearly challenging and taking over the grassroots of the Imo electrotorate.
In the wake of the milieu of these successes, the party has to sit up and take over the public space in Imo.
How to do it?
It has to come out with a clear cut, vibrant and politically savvy state leadership that Imo people can look up to for effective leadership. Any half measure, cosmetic and bigmanistic leadership that don’t understand the intrinsic twists and turns of politics can never achieve victory for the party and Imo people at the November gubernatorial elections. A leadership that is exposed and properly enlightened about mass messengering and sustainability of the gains of political theatrics. Not a state executive that its toga is gerontocratic and many have -beens. The only party leadership that can take Imo Labour party to electoral victory is one that understands the deep effects of political messaging and sloganeering and that would be able to mobilize the people to cast their vote and defend it. Titles and former offices held in ordinary life will not help matters.
Therefore, the current Imo Labour party leadership and its overseeing national counterpart have to have the insight to scout for an insightful leadership for Imo state in these critical and historical times. For now, they have to aggregate the gains made and rely on them. Such as putting together all their candidates that ran the various elections and are still in court and benefit from their experience and contributions. For instance, how can one put Orlu zone and its overbearing twelve Local Governments together without the contributions of Chief Charles Ahize( Senate) and the four House of Representative candidates in the last elections to wit: Collins Ezenwa Ilo, Barr Ozurumba Nwaugo, Paschal Obi and Geff Ojinaka.These men by know the begining and the end of Labour party in Orlu zone in the past ten months. How? How can a true politician exclude the entire Orlu leadership and hope to be doing anything reasonable. Let us see how it works. I suggest that the Labour Party go back to the drawing board and get its act together for a proper and virile political party hoping to win a major gubernatorial election in November in Imo state.
Dr. Batos Nwadike( Oyi of Igboland) is Spokesperson and Political Counsellor of the Chief Charles Ahize Senatorial Campaign for Orlu zone( Imo West) and writes from Umueze Umuorlu Isu in Nwangele LGA of Imo State.
NIGERIA NEWSPOINT
