Leadership of the Labour Party, on Friday, distanced itself from the personal assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s leadership style by one of its House of Representatives members-elect, Amobi Ogah.
The lawmaker representing Isuikwuato-Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State had on Thursday expressed his admiration for Tinubu, expressing surprise about his high level of intelligence.
Ogah spoke shortly after President Tinubu’s meeting with the lawmakers-elect for the 10th Assembly at the State House.
The LP lawmaker had said, “Today is my best day. I’m so happy that I’m an elected member seeing my president talking. In fact, I’ve never known that this man is so intelligent.
“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.”
He further pledged his support to the President, saying the interest of the country is above party affiliation.
“We have agreed that we are going towards government decision not minding I am of Labour Party. Now the party is not the issue. We are talking about building Nigeria. We are talking about the unity of Nigeria,” he said.
But the LP lawmaker’s admiration for President Tinubu did not go down well with the party and its angry supporters.
The LP leadership in its reaction to the drama, frowned at the lawmaker’s action in a statement on Friday in Abuja titled, “Hon. Ogah’s position on President Tinubu’s leadership, personal not party position.”
The statement, which was signed by the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, disclosed that such a comment shouldn’t be coming from any LP member at a time when LP presidential candidate is battling to reclaim his mandate at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
The statement read, “The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to an interview granted by one of our House of Representatives members-elect, Hon. Amobi Ogah wherein he expressed his satisfaction with the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that some of his colleagues have “agreed to go towards government decision” on the leadership of the 10th Assembly.
“Though as a first-time and newly elected lawmaker, the member-elect made the utterance which is clearly within his rights as an individual as enshrined in the laws of the land however, the party has a view quite different from what the honourable member was quoted to have said.
“As an individual, he does not have the mandate to speak for the party and therefore cannot claim to be standing on the platform of the Labour Party to do same, giving views that are diametrically opposed to what 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 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.
“Finally, we urge millions of our party members who are irked and offended by Hon Ogah’s interview which has since gone viral to maintain their cool as the lawmaker has regretted his actions and has tendered an unreserved apology to the party.”
