The Labour Party has slammed two of its newly-elected lawmakers Amobi Ogah and Obi Aguocha for expressing satisfaction with the leadership of President Bola Tinubu and the zoning formula of the All Progressives Congress for the 10th National Assembly Leadership.
The party in a statement through Obiora Ifoh,National Publicity Secretary demands an unreserved apologies from the two Lawmakers -Elect.
The members-elect had at different fora said they alongside some of their colleagues have “agreed to go towards government and party decision” on the zoning of the leadership of the National Assembly.
Ogah, who was elected under LP to represent Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State in an interview after a meeting of all elected lawmakers with Tinubu, expressed his admiration for the President.
“Today is my best day. I’m so happy that I’m an elected member and seeing my President talking. In fact, I’ve never known that this man is so intelligent,” he said. “I never knew that this man is so prepared to serve this country. I saw the love, character, and charisma — the belief that Nigeria can be a better nation.”
The interviews were not well received by his party which has now distanced itself from both lawmakers.
Reacting in a statement signed by the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh on Friday, the party asked the affected lawmakers to retrace their steps and tender unreserved apologies to the leadership of the party.
“Though as newly elected lawmakers on the platform of the Labour Party, the Members-elect made the utterances which are clearly within their rights as individuals as enshrined in the laws of the land however, the party has a view quite different from what the honourable members were quoted to have said,” the statement read.
“As individuals, the lawmakers do not have the mandate to speak for the party and therefore cannot claim to be standing on the platform of the Labour Party to speak, giving views that are diametrically opposed to ideals for which Labour Party stands for.”
Read the statement below:
The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to interviews granted by two of our House of Representatives members-elect, Hon. Amobi Ogah and Hon. Obi Aguocha wherein they expressed their satisfaction with the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the zoning formula of the All Progressives Congress, APC on the leadership of the 10th Assembly.
The members-elect had in their different interviews said that they alongside some of their colleagues have “agreed to go towards government and party decision” on the zoning of the leadership of the national assembly.
Though as newly elected lawmakers on the platform of the Labour Party, the Members-elect made the utterances which are clearly within their rights as individuals as enshrined in the laws of the land however, the party has a view quite different from what the honourable members were quoted to have said.
As individuals, the lawmakers do not have the mandate to speak for the party and therefore cannot claim to be standing on the platform of the Labour Party to speak, giving views that are diametrically opposed to ideals for which Labour Party stands for.
Labour Party is presently in the tribunal hoping to retrieve our mandate which was expressively given to our presidential candidate on the February 25, and every testament emanating from the tribunal points to the fact that Labour Party clearly won the election but was robbed. We have remained resolute to our belief that justice will be done and so soon.
For the records, Labour Party has nothing against the personality of President Tinubu, however, we are challenging both the process and final outcome of the presidential election. We as a party insist that the route to His Excellency must be excellent and anything other than that amounts to a mockery of democracy.
We therefore caution the two lawmakers and by extension, any other member elected on the platform of the Labour Party who chose to walk outside the agreed position and ideals of the party to desist from such trajectory and vain glory.
The party has given a clear directives and will not condone any of its members who will not subsume to the supremacy of the party. We therefore demand that the affected lawmakers retrace their steps and tender unreserved apologies to the leadership of the party.
SIGN
Obiora Ifoh
National Publicity Secretary
LABOUR PARTY.
