•Why we moved into LP

Labour Party governorship candidate in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru in this telephone interview with Vanguard debunks the insinuation of unfamiliarity put on him by the factional leadership of the party backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC asserting his rights and privileges in the party and why he moved into the opposition party.

By Charles Kumolu

What is your position on the current development in Labour Party?

Our democracy is not matured enough for a two-party system. There is no ideological difference between the so called major parties. In fact, in some states the ruling party controls the two major parties. That is why we moved to a platform that would give people the avenue to ventilate their aspirations. In my state we moved en mass from the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, to the Labour Party, LP because we wanted to make a difference.

Chief Ogboru

Moving into LP meant that LP would be strong in more than one state. Then LP was strong in Ondo and DPP was strong in Delta and the idea was to bring on strong leadership and large followership. We expected people from other states to make a similar move so that LP would be a strong force. We believe that it is going to take several elections before we can genuinely become a two party state.

The society will be more democratic, the right of the people will be more protected, monetisation of the polity will be reduced, congresses and primaries need to be respected before we can genuinely become a two party state.

So, it means that there must be respect for that. Indeed, t is only when we have that that we can talk about a two party system and ideology is absent in these parties.

And that is not the basis for political evolution. If the right of the people are not respected in any political party, any development they claim to have brought is worthless. The best practice is to allow the people to have a say before talking about infrastructural development.

On new leadership of LP

They don’t have a chance. Everybody knows who Nwanyanwu was and we know who succeeded him and how he was succeed. It is illegal for someone to come and claim to own a political party. There must be a process. Is the person recognised by INEC? How come all the parties documents are with the former chairman. What NLC should do is to direct all their members to go into the party, put in democratic structures and contest elections for the purpose of forming a people oriented government.

It is not a legal issue. It is a political issue. But the proper thing is not being done. What they are doing now is illegality. In a democracy people should be allowed to vote for their leaders. It should not be by going to media to make allegations. This is not a media war. I don’t even know the people who are shouting my name. I don’t know their identity. Part of what we are expected to do, is to provide direction for leadership by ensuring that due process is followed in all we do.