Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party (LP), has threatened to leave the party ahead of the 2027 general election if the internal crisis continues in the party.
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Obi said that he is unwilling to sacrifice himself to reform the Labour Party, indicating his readiness to exit if the party fails to resolve its internal crisis.
Recall that the Labour Party has been involved in a leadership and ownership crisis lately.
Struggles for control have intensified between Julius Abure and Apapa Lamidi vying for the party’s National Chairmanship position.
Moreover, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has laid claim to the LP, further complicating matters.
Amid this power struggle, Abure controversially secured reelection during a national convention held in Anambra State.
Peter Obi threatens to leave Labour Party following party’s internal crisis
However, Obi while featuring on an X space hosted by Parallel Facts, Obi said, “Our engagement is about Nigeria, they are trying to change our focus. What we want to do is not about the Labour Party; it is about what the Obidients want to do about Nigeria.
“We are thinking about water, we are thinking about power, we are thinking about employment, thinking about security. That should be our focus.
“The other matter we will deal with. We were somewhere, we didn’t start with Labour.
I’m a Christian. Jesus said, When you go into a city, try to change them, live with them, fast with them. in the end, if you can’t, come out and even wash the sand that is on your shoes.
“He didn’t say go there and die with them. I tell you, I’m making spirited efforts to change them (LP), but I’m not going to die with them.
“That will not stop what we set out to do. We will try to change them (LP), if we can’t, we will leave them; we will not die with them.”
Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has expressed his condolences to the family of Tolani Oyebamiji, also known as Sisi Quadri, and John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, both of whom passed away on 1 March.
In a post on his social media handles, Mr Obi described their deaths as saddening and painful, offering prayers for God’s comfort upon the grieving families.
The former Anambra State Governor stressed that their passing is not only a significant loss to the entertainment industry but also to the nation as a whole.
Late Sisi Quadri and Mr Ibu [PHOTO CREDIT: Google]
He acknowledged the role of these actors in brightening the nation’s mood and helping people navigate through life’s challenges.
Mr Obi wrote: “Just as I tweeted my condolence on the death of Nollywood actor Sisi Quadri, a lot of people, through my comments section, called my attention to the death of veteran Nollywood actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu.
“He was one legendary comic actor who embodied laughter, exuded joy and spread happiness. When sadly he took ill, we all prayed for his quick recovery and hoped he would bounce back in good health.
“On behalf of my family, I commiserate with his bereaved family, the Actors Guild of Nigeria, who just lost two legendary actors within a few days and the entire Nollywood family. We share the pains of his death, but are comforted by the cherished moments of joy and happiness he left behind.
“May God who called him home grant him eternal rest and grant his family, and all of us who mourn him, the fortitude to bear his sad irreplaceable loss. Rest in Peace Mr Ibu!
“I have just read the sad news of the death of a very talented Nollywood actor, Tolani Quadri Oyebamiji, popularly known as Sisi Quadri. The entertainment industry will miss the talent of this Young actor who was known for his brilliant interpretation of roles, energetic performances, and talented acting. He is reported to have acted in more than 150 films, including comedic skits. His impacts and contributions to the growth of our entertainment industry will always be remembered.
“I sincerely commiserate with his family, and the entire Nollywood industry, over his painful death, while praying to God to comfort them, and all of us who mourn him, the fortitude to bear his sad irreplaceable loss. May God Almighty forgive his sins and grant him eternal rest.”
I have just read the sad news of the death of a very talented Nollywood actor, Tolani Quadri Oyebamiji, popularly known as Sisi Quadri. The entertainment industry will miss the talent of this Young actor who was known for his brilliant interpretation of roles, pic.twitter.com/StbeKbdnKn
Obi conveyed this message through a series of tweets on Friday, March 1, using his X handle.
He pointed out the concerning implications of the losses of Nestle Nigeria due to the ongoing hostility of the business environment, which he believes has discouraged both foreign and domestic investors from investing in the country.
He wrote: “Last December, I lamented the sad exit of Procter and Gamble, the world’s largest personal care and household products company, from Nigeria, which followed my earlier remarks on the exit of GlaxoSmithKline, GSK, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, from Nigeria.
“Yesterday, I read the disturbing audited report of Nestle Nigeria, which represented a huge loss in the company’s history in Nigeria. This is a company that started operations in 1961, a year after Nigeria’s Independence, operating as Nestlé Products (Nigeria) Limited.
“As of 10 years ago in 2014, Nestle Nigeria had a revenue of N140 billion, about a billion dollars, which was about 1% of their global revenue of $100 billion then. Nigeria was destined to be one of their largest emerging markets.
“Their profit then was N26 billion, about $175 million. Nestlé Products (Nigeria) Limited is part of Nestlé’s global network, the world’s biggest food company operating in 188, out of 195 countries of the world, with a market capitalization of $ 275 billion,and a global turnover above $100b. Having considered Nigeria to be a strategic market for them, owing to our population demographics (young) and numbers, they built 3 factories in the country – Agbara, Sagamu, and Abaji, near Abuja.
Peter Obi
“They also developed an ultramodern warehouse at Agbara, which further shows the strategic place of Nigeria to the company. In their recent financial report, however, following the collapse of the naira exchange rate to the dollar,their revenue has gone down to a third of what it was in 2014, about $300 million, and worse still, they have now gone into a huge loss of about $70 million. To see such a company record a colossal loss of over N100 billion and also wipe off entire shareholder capital, by the losses they incurred, is sad. The implication of this sad result is the message it sends to other such global companies about the challenges of doing business in Nigeria. It shows how our business environment is deteriorating continually, thereby discouraging other foreign, and even local investors, from establishing in the country. This sad situation could have been better managed through more rigorous thinking to design solutions for the situation we dug our economy into.
“National greatness and development cannot be pursued in an atmosphere that discourages production. This is why I continue to emphasize that everything must be done to encourage production in the country.”Moreover, the best way to create employment for our teeming youth is by creating an environment conducive and attractive for more multinationals to invest in Nigeria. Instead, our policies are chasing away the existing ones.”In moving our country from consumption to production, we must ensure that we put measures in place, through favourable fiscal and monetary policy implementation, that will build a good business environment and encourage local and foreign production companies to do business and thrive in Nigeria.”
Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has encouraged military personnel to stay strong in their fight against the current insecurity in the nation.
Obi on his X handle (formerly Twitter), expressed solidarity with fellow Nigerians in honoring fallen heroes who sacrificed for the country’s peace, unity, and territorial integrity.
Peter Obi [PHOTO CREDIT: NRTC Library]
The former Anambra State Governor acknowledged and honored these heroes, extending love and support to their grieving families. Obi emphasized that great nations are built by leaders, citizens, and defenders of freedom—the military.
He added that Nigeria’s national narrative remains incomplete without recognising the Army’s courageous sacrifices, pulling them away from the comfort of their homes and the embrace of loved ones.
Part of the statement read: “On this Armed Forces Remembrance Day, I join other Nigerians in appreciating our military men who, in order to ensure peace and security within our borders, are willing to pay untold sacrifices.
“With the country going through very challenging times in its war against terrorism, violence, crime and all manner of insecurity, we show our support and solidarity to our military men, and urge them not to be despirited, even when they feel overstretched by the war.
“May this day renew their love, zeal, and courage to remain firm in their struggles for a peaceful and crime-free Nigeria. May we the leaders, ensure that the welfare of our armed forces and their families, are well taken care of, as they graciously serve our nation. -PO
Today, we encourage them to remain resolute in their resolve to conquer the ugly monster of insecurity currently ravaging our dear nation. We remember especially our fallen heroes who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while defending the peace,
President Bola Tinubu has urged his opponents from the February presidential election to acknowledge defeat and collaborate with him in advancing the nation.
He implored them to allow the light within each individual – irrespective of age or gender – to radiate brightly, illuminating the path to a prosperous dawn for the country.
President Bola Tinubu [PHOTO CREDIT: NRTC Library]
In his New Year broadcast, he emphasised that 2024 is a pivotal year for united efforts toward the Nigerian Commonwealth.
Tinubu stressed the importance of working collectively for peace, progress, and stability as well as highlighted the necessity for proactive individual contributions.
He asserted that preparedness to play our respective roles is crucial for the new year to bring forth its myriad benefits to Nigerians.
Tinubu [PHOTO CREDIT: NRTC Library]
“The job of building a prosperous nation is not the job of the President, Governors, Ministers, Lawmakers and government officials alone. Our destinies are connected as members of this household of Nigeria. Our language, creed, ethnicity and religious beliefs even when they are not same should never make us work at cross purposes.”
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the just concluded election, Peter Obi, has congratulated Nigerian-born Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience, Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu, who was recently elected as the seventh President of Wolfson College, one of the 31 colleges of the University of Cambridge.
Obi, in a series of posts on his verified Twitter handle, celebrated Professor Uchegbu for her exceptional work in nanoparticle drug delivery.
Peter Obi and Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu (PHOTO CREDIT) Facebook.
He expressed his deep confidence that she will not only make further global impacts through her own work but also, through her leadership, inspire and mentor a generation of enthusiastic researchers who will advance the frontiers of science, medicine, and global health through scientific development.
He tweeted: “I wish to joyfully congratulate Ijeoma Uchegbu, a Nigerian and Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience, celebrated for her exceptional work in nanoparticle drug delivery, who has just been announced as the 7th President of Wolfson College,one of the 31 colleges of the University of Cambridge. Prof Uchegbu, currently a lecturer at University College London, is also globally celebrated for her high intellectual and global works in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) which have won her numerous awards, fellowships, and accolades, as she continues to trail the blaze in pharmaceutical nanoscience.
“Her innovative breakthrough and academic excellence, reborn out of years of dedication and hard work, have not only led to the development of new treatments that promise to transform pain relief but have also paved the way for deeper research in pharmaceutical science for the improvement of health – a very critical index of human development. As she boldly steps into her new position next year, I wish her more all-around success.
“While thanking her for bringing honour to our nation and for reflecting the high intellectual prowess of Nigerians, I also urge her to continue to contribute to the development of our dear nation, especially in health and education. Progressive minds like Prof Uchegbu show that Nigeria is abundantly gifted in human resources, and with them, we will build the New Nigeria that will be beneficial to all.”
Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu-led administration for allocating N15 billion to construct a new residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima amid the country’s pressing challenges.
Obi expressed his dismay on his X handle (formerly Twitter), emphasising the shock and disappointment caused by the award.
Notably, he pointed out that a Supplementary Budget had already allocated N2.5 billion for the renovation of the Vice President’s existing residence in Abuja.
The Former Anambra State Governor condemned the allocation of a total of N20.5 billion for the Vice President’s housing, considering the widespread poverty, hunger, health facility collapses, and unemployment plaguing Nigeria.
Peter Obi | Labour Party Presidential Candidate 2023. Source: NRTC Library.
He characterised such a decision as a display of wickedness, emphasising the need for compassionate leadership that prioritizes the common progress and development of the nation.
Obi emphasized the importance of leaders who are willing to make sacrifices for the well-being of the people.
“Even as I am still studying the 2024 fiscal budget as presented to the National Assembly last week, I cannot wait as I am compelled to ask : what is exactly wrong with us as a country?
“I ask this question because it is hard for me to understand some of the recent happenings in our nation, in these critical times. The recent news about a budget provision of N15 billion for the construction of a new residence for the Vice President is both shocking and disheartening, considering the many important challenges facing our nation. Just recently in the Supplementary Budget, the sum of N2.5 billion was included for the renovation of the Vice President’s residence in Abuja, which means that he already has a residence.
“Again, during the budget presentation, I heard the sum of N3 billion was allocated for the renovation of the Vice President’s residence in Lagos. If we total all these sums, we would have budgeted the sum of N20.5 billion for the housing of the Vice President at this critical time when we are not just the world’s poverty capital, but more people are falling into poverty, with so many Nigerians not knowing where their next meal will come from. Our health facilities have collapsed, and unemployment is skyrocketing.
“I am convinced that 99.9% of Nigerians can only dream of living in the current residence of the Vice President. Several people employed in the universities are not being paid. Just to give an example, the salary of a professor in a Nigerian university is about N400,000, which without removing tax is about N5 million a year. What we have budgeted for the housing of the Vice President who is already luxuriously housed is, therefore, the annual salary of about 3000 professors! This is the finance needed to develop the much-needed human capital.
“The budget of N5 billion for student loans, which is yet to be disbursed, is only a tiny percentage of the cost of the Vice President’s new home. We are projecting to use four times the amount for educating ALL Nigerian indigent students to house the Vice President, and we are being told there is nothing wrong with us. I am sure the major teaching hospitals in Nsukka, Lagos, Ibadan, and Zaria did not receive this much capital vote in the budget this year. We have had leaders that were exemplary in the past.
“Most Nigerians may not know that the popular 1004 flats in Lagos, was a land allocated for the building of a Presidential Mansion for the then Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed. He sternly turned down the offer and instructed that the land should be used to build blocks of flats for civil servants. That is the kind of sacrificial leadership worth emulating. Our leaders must therefore stop the recklessness and insensitivity to the plight of the masses.
“We need leaders who show compassion and are willing to sacrifice for common progress and development. Such compassionate and frugal leaders are critical in our journey to the New Nigeria. -PO”
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate representing the Peoples Democratic Party in the February 25 elections, along with his counterpart from the Labour Party, Peter Obi, extended their congratulations to former President Goodluck Jonathan on his 66th birthday.
Abubakar expressed his admiration for Jonathan through a post on his X account on Monday morning, lauding the former president as a significant symbol of democracy, peace, and freedom.
“Your unwavering commitment to these ideals continues to inspire and guide practitioners of democracy, not just in the sub-region but the entire African continent.
“As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, I extend heartfelt wishes for your continued robust health and profound wisdom. May your journey ahead be as impactful and enriching as the legacy you’ve built,” he said.
Obi, in his congratulatory message on Monday, thanked “God for what he has used you to do for our country, Africa, and global democracies as President and former President.”
He lauded Jonathan’s recent mission to Liberia for their election, which led to a run-off. He stated that the election made many Nigerians nostalgic about Jonathan’s sacrifice for democracy in the country in 2015.
“God will continue to bless you for that rare patriotism that elevated our beloved country in global democracies worldwide, notwithstanding spirited efforts to undermine it. That singular act of yours, accompanied by the landmark quote “My political ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian” says it all about your commitment to democracy where the will of the people prevails.
“As you celebrate this unique day in your life, it’s my prayer that God Almighty will bless and keep you in good health of mind and body for many more positive things for our country and humanity,” he wrote.
Jonathan, who served as the president of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015, was born in 1957 in Bayelsa State.
The Labour Party’s Presidential candidate for the February election, Peter Obi, has urged the Federal Government to transparently reveal the extent of the deficit inherited from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
This call comes in response to National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu’s recent statement, where he expressed concern about the alleged financial challenges inherited by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration from the preceding Buhari-led government on Monday.
Obi, in a statement shared on X, urged the Federal Government to formally declare its inheritance from the previous administration, providing clarity for the public on its stance.
The former Governor of Anambra State contested the government’s narrative of bankruptcy, emphasising that transparency and strict accountability are integral components of responsible governance.
The statement read: “I just read yesterday, a widely publicized story from the present APC-led Federal Government saying that they inherited a bankrupt nation from their predecessor APC administration. But the story failed to disclose what they inherited which had qualified us for bankruptcy status.
“One major characteristic of responsible governance is transparency and strict accountability. This demands that the government disclose exactly the degree of deficit they inherited. What is inherited should be disclosed to enable the public to know where we are and where we are headed. Recall that the previous APC Government made a similar claim in 2015 against the PDP administration that handed over to them without telling the nation what it actually inherited.
“Rather, they took our debt profile from N12.6 Trillion in 2015 to N87 trillion in 2023 when they left office without improving on any indices of development: Education, Health, Poverty eradication, and Security.
“Instead, the condition of the nation on every development index got worse, leading to the present sad state. Nigerians know things are bad, and they experience it daily. What they now want to hear regularly are measurable and verifiable steps to improve the situation.
“Also, the alarm raised by the government about the bad state of our finances raises questions about the rationale behind some expenditure items in the supplementary budget recently signed into law.
“The present revelation also goes to buttress the argument that I have made since electioneering season that the cost of governance is too high and must be drastically reduced. A bankrupt country should channel every available resource into funding critical development sectors like security, healthcare, education, and eradication of poverty by addressing youth unemployment, not spending in non-essential areas. So, what we expect are measurable and verifiable steps to improve the situation. PO.”
The Supreme Court, on Thursday, affirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the valid winner of the presidential election that held in the country on February 25.
The apex court, in its lead judgement that was prepared and read by Justice Inyang Okoro, held that there was no merit in the petition that a former President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, filed to nullify the outcome of the election.
It held that Atiku did not prove that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, did not substantially comply with provisions of the Electoral Act, in the conduct of the election.
The apex court held that section 185(1) of the Evidence Act provided that an election should not be liable to be invalidated, when alleged non compliance did not substantially affect the outcome of an election.
It held that evidence contained in the record of the appeal showed that the Appellants abandoned the duty imposed on them by the law to not only prove the alleged non compliance, but to establish that failure of INEC to transmit results of the election through its IReV portal, influenced the outcome of the presidential poll.
The Supreme Court said it had in past judgements, made it clear that there was a difference between election result collation system and the IReV portal.
“Where the IReV portal fails, it does not stop the collation which up till the last election was manually done,” the court held.
Nevertheless, it stressed that INEC’s failure to electronically transmit results of the election, denied the electorates the opportunity to follow and cross-check results that were eventually uploaded.
“Truth must be told, the non transmission of results to the IReV portal may also reduce the confidence of the voting population in the electoral process,” the Supreme Court warned.
It held that the unavailability of results on INEC’s IReV portal “for whatever reason, could not be the reason for an election to be nullified.
The apex court held that Atiku and PDP did not prove that they suffered any miscarriage of justice as a result of the dismissal of their petition by the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC.
Atiku’s contention that Tinubu ought not have been declared winner of the presidential election, having failed to secure 25% votes in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, was described as misconceived and misplaced.
The apex court affirmed the position of the PEPC that the FCT does not have a status that is more special than that of the 36 States of the federation.
Supreme Court upholds Tinubu’s victory
It further upheld the striking out the evidence of some of the witnesses that testified for Atiku at the PEPC hearing, adding that most of the witnesses gave “inadmissible hearsay” evidence.
“The Appellants did not present any evidence to warrant the interference of the findings of the lower court,” head of the apex court panel, Justice Okoro, added.
On the issue that President Tinubu was involved in a drug related case in the USA that led to the forfeiture of $460, 000, the Supreme Court held that Tinubu raised the issue when the Respondents had already filed their process.
It held that the action denied the Respondents the right to fair hearing.
“The ruling of the lower court is unassailable and this court will not interfere,” it held.
The court held that whereas Atiku alleged that the result that was declared by INEC was not accurate, he, however, failed to put forward their perceived rightful result.
It held that the result announced by INEC was presumed as correct in the absence of “any rival or alternative result.”
“The figure before us shows that the 2nd Respondent won the highest number of votes and was duly declared winner.”
Consequently, the court, resolved all the issues that Atiku raised in his petition, against him.
“On the whole, having resolved all the issues against the Appellants, it is my view that there is no merit in this appeal and it is hereby dismissed.
“Judgement of the lower court delivered on September 6 is hereby affirmed. I shall make no order as to cost,” the Supreme Court held.
News Round The Clock recalled that INEC had on March 1, announced that Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, won the presidential contest, ahead of 17 other candidates that participated in the poll.
It declared that he had a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat his two major rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who came second with a total of 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes.
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