By Sani Idris-Abdulrahman

The leadership of the Labour Party said it watched in awe as a one time minister of finance and a former member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Nenadi Usman failed in her bid to transact with the Labour Party, alleging alliance with her mentor and former governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai.

This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen on Thursday in Kaduna by Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party.

He said that before wednesday’s shameful and audacious display by Nenadi Usman, many attempts have been made by some desperate politicians to transact with the Labour Party with all ending in the same disastrous fate.

“We are also aware that one other group which has continued to claim proprietary right over the Labour Party, in a recent statement indicated interest to join in this transactional frenzy to obliterate this party seen as the third force.

“We really do not know why all these interests in the Labour Party. Are there no other political parties in Nigeria”, he wondered.

Ifoh added that the Labour Party is filled with several transactional politicians whose only purpose of joining the party was to scramble for the soul of the party.

This, he said explained
the genesis of the crises the party have witnessed in the in the last two years.

“We have continued to warn that the Labour Party is not a merchandise that can be bought over the counter. It baffles us how some persons will continue to engage in a futile enterprise which end is already foretold.

“For emphasis, Senator Usman joined the Labour Party in 2022 in support of our Presidential candidate as an unregistered member of the party and up till presently, her name is still not in the party’s register. She is not known in her Ward, Local Government and the State chapters of the party.

“It is only in Nigeria that some desperate politicians can wake up one morning and begin to claim one position, even if such position is not supported by any law.

“Today, it is becoming manifest why she forced her way to assume an illegal and ill-conceived transitional chairman of the Labour Party and perhaps the unseen hands that have urged and funded her covert agenda”,he added.

Ifoh restated that the leadership of the Labour Party has repeatedly said that it is not in any discussion with any individual or group on matters of alliance or merger for now.

He, therefore, said it is preposterous for Nenadi Usman, who is not known to be either an executive or member of the Labour Party to have the audacity to want to auction the labour party to her former mentor.

Speaking further, Ifoh revealed that Nenadi Usman dragged the party to the court seeking that the entire executives of the party from the Ward, Local Government, State and the National level be sacked, where she lost in both the lower and Appeal courts.

“She was barely two year old as a non card carrying member of the party as at that time. Today, even the six months illegal mandate given to her in Umuahia has since elapsed but she is still sitting on a non-existing office.

“In her media release, she claimed that she was invited by her colleague in the SDP to witness el-Rufai’s defection. Imagine a supposed party leader saying “they” received el-Rufai into opposition fold. Was it a CNPP event? It’s so funny that a supposed party leader who was “appointed” to drive reforms in the Labour Party went to SDP with her sitting on the side of el-Rufai to do anti party and claim she was invited by the leadership of another political party.

“Why didn’t they invite chairmen of the other opposition political parties? This is a shallow defense and most unfortunate from Senator Nenadi Usman”,he lamented. 

The publicity secretary emphasised that the Labour Party is not against any individual leaving or joining any political party of choice, provided such prerson, if elected into office on the ticket of a political party relinquishes the mandate.

He, therefore, said if Nenadi Usman wants to join any other political party, she is free to do so, adding that transacting with Labour Party is clearly criminal and must be resisted.