From Joseph Uchenna, in Makurdi
Benue State Secretary of the Labor Party, LP Lushyakaa Anja State has expressed optimism that the new coalition will oust the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in 2027.
Anja who stated this optimism in a chat in Makurdi, maintained that the caliber of individuals who have come together to form the coalition are old horses in politics with large followership that cares for this country.
He also said that Nigerians are dissatisfied with this Government because they do not have a solution to the problems of this country.
He said: “First I will like to correct the erraneous impression that political parties are coming together to form coalition but individuals who are leaders of political parties are coming together to form a coalition that will boot out the current APC government.
“It is not the parties themselves but individuals. The party exist but these individuals have a followership. Parties like APC, PDP are just acronym without clear cut ideologies, individuals are leaders and they have their own following that is what is obtainable in this coalition”.
The Labor Party scribe said his party is fully involved in the coalition and he is following its Presidential candidate at the 2023 Election into the coalition.
“This party LP have been in existence for close to 2 decades and the person who ignited the steam in this party is Peter Obi, the erstwhile candidate in the 2023 Presidential Election.
“You know he did very well because he was a credible candidate. He has what Nigerians wanted and desired at that time. So, if he is moving outrightly, the Labor Party will be taken into the ICU. Very well, I will leave with Peter Obi. I did not come to occupy a position, I came to make Nigeria work, to facilitate and help to make Nigeria work. And if there is a process, a better process that would make Nigeria work, I will be part of it.
“You will agree with me that there is a wave of crisis across opposition parties in this country, the plan is to destroy and weaken the opposition so that there won’t be coalition or cooperation, and it will be a smooth ride for the APC. So, these leaders saw this coming and decided to engage themselves in a discussion to provide a way out because they are able to predict the President.
“You can see that he has foisted on Rivers State, the APC, same thing he has done in Delta state, now he has moved to Kano. If you check the subvention that goes to Rivers, Delta and Kano States, you will discover the he is on a voyage of capturing Nigeria so that he will become a lord. When you talk about resources, Lagos, Rivers, Delta and Kano are amongst the top five States, in both IGR and Fascinating. So, he deliberately sent out the Governor Of Rivers State Simi Fubara and made him to come down on his knees to beg to become Governor again.
“He has given him his own terms and the man has accepted because he is desperate to become Governor. He went to Delta State, did the same thing because I think Delta has a skeleton in their cupboard so they had to join suit. Now he is in Kano. In Akwa Ibom, he outrightly wooed the Governor and since the governor is not a politician and he wants a second term, he is afraid that if he contest under another platform, he will lose so he has moved there.
“But the people who have formed the coalition are old horses in this game, so they knew he was going to destroy all these political parties so that it will only be one party that will be in power in Nigeria both at the Federal and State level. So they have come together because the parties already have become pieces and fragmented. You are taking you party to the coalition, which fragment will you be taking along so you have to go as an individual and those who will follow you are people who care for this country.
“So this is what is going to happen. Peter Obi is in that coalition and I came to LP because of him. I saw the goodness in him and saw that he could make a good President and since he is going into the coalition, am part of it. It is not matter of wanting to make him their Presidential candidate. The structure of the coalition has not be formed, there is an interim committee which is headed by Sen David Mark.
“They are going to design and put in place a structure, a neutral one which will capture all the people on board. It will evolve naturally and a level playing field will be enabled for anybody who wants to contest any election, it is very simple. It is either they will design a template to select delegates, it may be a collegiate or direct primary election. So, PO is eminently qualified to contest because as he is coming, he is carrying well over 6 million Obidients into the coalition and as he comes, he will be part of the process to select who will be the Presidential candidate and I think he stands a very good chance of becoming their candidate.
“They have promised transparency and agreed that whoever wins, will be their candidate and they will work for him. So, I think PO will definitely emerge. Persons who contribute in ousting a sitting President are still here apart from the sitting President. When Jonathan was ousted it was a conspiracy by these same people. Am very optimistic that whosoever is going to emerge as President from this coalition, like Jonathan did to Buhari and congratulated him even before the close of the polls, Tinubu will do same.
“It is going to be worse because we were better off yesterday than today. We are unable to feed. There is decline in productivity because of the level of poverty. We are seeing these things never happened before in this country. Everyone is dissatisfied with this Government because they do not have a solution to this country”.
