With barely two weeks to the Presidential Election, a group of Labour Party Presidential Candidate’s supporters under the auspices of Obidients Movement, are at daggers drawn with the Leadership of Labour Party in Imo State.
Kubwaexpress, is in exclusive possession of a copy of the petition, which the authors are desirous of turning into a full blown court case, to approach the Federal High Court in Owerri to restrain the leadership of LP from selling Imo Gubernatorial Nomination Forms.
They also frown at the N25,000,000(Twenty Five Million Naira) Only price tag.
According to the authors of the petition, this fee is outrageous, discriminatory and a deliberate attempt to exclude younger vibrate candidates who had laboured to popularize Peter Obi and bring the Labour Party into the consciousness of Imolites.
They further allege “Whereas the exercise of rushed sales of gubernatorial form by the labour party is aimed to accrue and line their pockets as much as possible before Mr. Peter Obi can emerge as president-elect and wade into the party’s nefarious activities, knowing that at present, his hands are tied with the ongoing hectic presidential campaign”
The petition addressed to NLC, LP National Headquarters, Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, INEC, reads;
“We received with utmost dismay the news of the ongoing sales of form by the national management of the Labour Party for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Imo State.
We recall that the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has elaborately drawn a comprehensive timetable for all elections holding in the year, 2023, which allows parties ample opportunity to plan and execute.
Whereas guidelines say that the commission shall have received the names of the party candidates by April, 2023.
Whereas we are still in the month of February, 2023, that is the presidential election month, very busy and decisive;
Whereas we now view the act of sale of gubernatorial form for Imo State as an exercise to distract the activities of the supporters of Mr. Peter Obi, who coincidentally is the presidential candidate of the Labour Party;
Whereas it is now dawned on us that the exercise is an evil machination of the fifth columnists, acting in cohort with an unseen outside source, in order to betray or sabotage the chances of Mr. Peter Obi by its wholesome distraction in the southeast Heartland State, which is Mr. Peter Obi’s incontrovertible and exclusive strong hold;
Whereas it is now clear to us and many others that the entire exercise is to fleece innocent gubernatorial aspirants in Imo State of their hard earned money through the backdoor of gubernatorial expression of interest (EoI) and nomination forms at the exorbitant cost of Twenty-five million naira (₦25,000,000.00);
Whereas in the hearts of our highly resourceful, teeming youths, this exorbitant cost of gubernatorial form becomes heartbreaking, incongruous and repugnant to justice as its end effect is to disenfranchise those of them with gubernatorial aspiration, when this exorbitant cost is consciously slammed and consequently shutting the door against their ambition;
Whereas we have followed with keen observation that the labour party leaders is overtly disinterested and have played aloof with the presidential campaigns, attending it with nonchalance, to the dismay of Obidients and many other admirers of Mr. Peter Obi.
Whereas we now accuse the Labour Party of dereliction of duties, in which the management has left many tasks undone, for example – the training of Polling Unit Agents of the party for the forthcoming election; membership drive etc – because the management fixed its eyes on money and crumbs here and there.
Whereas we recall that at the last count, the membership of the Labour Party in Imo State stands at approximately Nine-Thousand (9000), it is appalling to neglect this abysmal number, which is tantamount to sacrificing membership drive on the altar of greedy cash outs from exorbitant forms.
Whereas we cannot really figure out how the said gubernatorial primary election can be successful by satisfying electoral laws/guidelines with approximately 9,000 members, many of whom are party officials already, which are not permitted by law to be delegates, yet with the aim to satisfy the 305 wards in Imo State.
Whereas we the Obidients see ourselves as the main drivers and backers of Mr. Peter Obi, and therefore critical stakeholders, we cannot stand-by and watch the hard earned movement scuttled by few insensitive officials.
Whereas the exercise of rushed sales of gubernatorial form by the labour party is aimed to accrue and line their pockets as much as possible before Mr. Peter Obi can emerge as president-elect and wade into the party’s nefarious activities, knowing that at present, his hands are tied with the ongoing hectic presidential campaign
Whereas we are aware that there are other gubernatorial elections holding in some other states in this year, 2023 and wonder why Imo State of southeast is of this rushed importance and at this exorbitant rate.
We, the entire support groups, interested parties – especially the youths, stand together in condemnation of this evil and malevolent act. We, by this petition, demand that the sales of gubernatorial form should halt immediately until we have completed the process of the presidential election.
Conversely, we shall mobilize, occupy, scuttle and reset the Labour Party to their default position in all states, all local government areas and even in all wards. And this petition shall be followed by a world press conference to expose the evil and their doers.”
