LP Slams Newly Elected Lawmakers Ogah, Aguocha For Praying for Tinubu

The All Progressives Congress’ zoning plan for the 10th National Assembly Leadership, as well as the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, have drawn criticism from the Labour Party from two of its newly elected legislators, Amobi Ogah and Obi Aguocha.

In various forums, the members-elect had stated that they and a few of their colleagues had “agreed to go towards government and party decision” about the zoning of the National Assembly leadership.

In an interview following a meeting of all elected MPs with Tinubu, Ogah, who was chosen by the LP to represent the Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State, professed his respect for the President.

My best day is right now. I’m overjoyed to be an elected official and to hear my president speak. In really, I had no idea a man could be this smart, he said. “I had no idea that this man was so ready to serve this nation. I observed the love, charisma, and conviction that Nigeria can be a better country.

His party did not think highly of the interviews and has since cut ties with both lawmakers.

The party demanded that the offended MPs go back and offer their sincere apologies to the party leadership in a statement released on Friday and signed by the party’s acting national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh.

“The Members-elect made the utterances, which are clearly within their rights as individuals as enshrined in the laws of the land, as newly elected lawmakers on the platform of the Labour Party, but the party has a view quite different from what the honorable members were quoted as having said,” the statement read.

Since they do not have the authority to speak on behalf of the party, the MPs cannot claim to be speaking from a platform shared by the Labour Party and expressing opinions that are completely at odds with what the party stands for.

Here is the whole statement:

The leadership of the Labour Party has been made aware of two of our incoming House of Representatives members’ interviews, given by Hon. Amobi Ogah and Hon. Obi Aguocha, in which they expressed their satisfaction with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership and the All Progressives Congress, APC’s zoning formula for the 10th Assembly’s leadership.

In their various interviews, the members-elect stated that they and a few of their colleagues had “agreed to go towards government and party decision” over the zoning of the national assembly leadership.

However, the party has a very different opinion from what the honorable members were reported to have said, even though they were newly elected lawmakers on the platform of the Labour Party and made statements that were clearly within their rights as individuals under the law.

The parliamentarians cannot claim to be speaking on behalf of the Labour Party because they lack the authority to do so as individuals. As a result, they cannot express opinions that are completely at odds with what the Labour Party stands for.

Every testimony coming from the tribunal demonstrates that the Labour Party definitely won the election but was robbed. The Labour Party is currently in the tribunal attempting to recover our mandate, which was expressly handed to our presidential candidate on February 25. We haven’t wavered in our conviction that justice will be served, and soon.

For the record, the Labour Party has nothing against President Tinubu’s character, but we are contesting both the conduct and result of the election. As a party, we are adamant that the path to His Excellency must be wonderful; otherwise, democracy is being made fun of.

Therefore, we advise the two lawmakers—and by extension, every other Labour Party member elected on the basis of their platform—to refrain from following such a trajectory and pursuing empty glory.

The party has made it obvious that it would not tolerate any of its members who refuse to submit to the party’s dominance. As a result, we insist that the offending lawmakers go back and completely apologize to the party’s leadership.

SIGN

Obiora Ifoh
National Publicity Secretary
LABOUR PARTY.

9-6-2023