The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, was absent on Wednesday when his presidential campaign council unveiled its members.
Also, Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice-presidential candidate of the LP, failed to show up at the event.
While the event was ongoing, Obi tweeted that he was attending the 52nd Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria conference.
“I just arrived at the 52nd ICAN Annual Accountants Conference. -PO,” the former governor of Anambra wrote.
However, in a show of intent to wrest power from the two dominant political parties in Nigeria, the Labour Party announced a 1,234-strong-member Presidential Campaign Council to prosecute its quest to occupy Aso Villa from May 29, 2023.
Retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Zarewa, emerged as the chairman while former presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, retained his position as the Director General of the PCC.
Clement Ojukwu and Yunusa Tanko were named secretary and spokesperson of the PCC respectively.
The list which was released on Wednesday during a press conference in Abuja 14 days after the Independent National Electoral Commission formally declared campaigns for the 2023 general elections open, also has Valentine Ozigbo, a long-time ally of Obi, as the head of funds mobilization.
In addition, the PCC also had different directorates and each was headed by a director.
Speaking at the world press conference to announce the PCC, Okupe expressed optimism that the presidential candidate of the LP, Peter Obi, had at least 15 million voters “in the bag,” while 80 percent of new voters were his supporters.
He argued that about 60 percent of Nigeria’s 38 million social media users registered to vote and that 50 percent of that figure belonged to the family called ‘Obidients’.
Okupe took pot shots at the two main parties, the ruling All Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party, describing them as expired commodities with defective structures.
He further argued that had there been a thorough pre-qualification process, the two parties’ presidential candidates wouldn’t be looking forward to the ballot in the February presidential race.
He insisted that the nation’s youths would decide the future of the country and that there was nothing anybody could do about that.
“I am not talking about the dubious nature of educational records, nor even allegations of foreign court certified criminal narcotic records, nor any basis of poor health, and not even of falsified or advanced age but I refer to the fundamental parameters of competence and character, where none of these other known candidates, measure up in any way to the sterling qualities of Peter Obi and Dr. Yusuf Datti-Ahmed.
“Similarly, on the considerations of true nationalism, geographical equity and fairness of ticket, none of them come close.
“The PDP candidate is a product of an unjust and dishonourable process that clearly violates the equitable rights of the entire southern Nigeria and the desire for balance in presidential power, already enshrined in the constitution and history of that party which was shamelessly subverted by subterfuge, and indeed anything built on injustice, ungodliness and evil conspiracy, can never stand.
“As for the APC, the presidential candidacy is fundamentally flawed through the adoption of a skewed and insensitive Muslim-Muslim ticket, despite all objections across religious lines in a highly religiously sensitive country like Nigeria and at a time when all reason, calls for maturity, fairness, equity, justice and balance for the good of the country.
“Nigerian youth, by this new, unprecedented demonstration of political vibrancy, has signaled to the failing and fading established political order, and transactional political class, that they are tired of the leadership failure that has brought Nigeria, the giant of Africa, to her knees today.
“The arrogant, corrupt and clearly selfish practices of these old-order politicians and their parties, who believe they can always buy their way into power, and always compromise every institution, have now been spotlighted and stand totally rejected by this new class of Nigerian voters.
“The large crowds of highly disciplined, self-organised, self-funded, self-motivated and clearly trans-ethnic-politico-religious groups and vocal associations of youths simultaneously calling for a new political culture and new leadership personae, across all the country’s political regions, in a sustained, orderly but insistent manner, is a clear call and warning to us as a country to sit up, shape up and do what is right before it becomes too late.”
Okupe said the 2023 general elections were the biggest test for the Independent National Electoral Commission, maintaining that the commission had no choice, but to act as a fair, impartial, fearless and patriotic umpire.
He said, “The notorious practice of compromising the system with corrupt inducement and money politics and the manipulation of the regulatory and security agencies, is no longer the norm and will be hard to fly in these elections.
“Already, we have seen earlier this year, in this very dispensation, how corrupt money politics and evil political conspiracies have destroyed unity, peace and cohesion and stifled healthy democratic determination in the internal structures of political parties, leading to heightened tensions and political disaffection.
“But we cannot allow these unhealthy practices to continue to truncate the destiny of our nation. As leaders who profess love for the country and the people we aspire to lead, we must resolve to put a stop to these practices, this time and commit to playing fairly by the rules.”
Okupe called on the down-trodden to seize the opportunity that the 2023 election offers to enthrone a new democratic order.
“To the vast Nigerian majority who are wallowing in the unmerited poverty and sordid deprivations that decades of poor leadership have foisted on our country, the coming 2023 election offers you a great chance to use your vote to turn around the situation.”
