The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party (LP) has appealed to its members to draw lessons from history and fortify the party’s structure.
The National Chairman of the party, Barrister Julius Abure made this call during the inauguration of the directorate of mobilization and integration in Abuja.
He said, “We have seen instances where weak and unpopular candidates have been delivered or put more succinctly win elections by strong party structure. On the other hand, there are instances in which extremely popular and visible candidates have lost elections due to a weak party structure.
“It is on this basis that we intend to strengthen the structure of the party, make it formidable, rebuild the party and begin to identify strong, passionate and dedicated party members that we can use in future as agents and defenders of the party.”
Abure regretted that the party’s weak structure in 2023 led to the loss of votes, stressing that robust party machinery can make a significant difference in election outcomes.
He added, “I must say for certain that a new Nigeria will not be possible without a strong and virile political party whose structure is strong enough to withstand, fight, and defend our votes and what the new Nigeria stands for.
“It is therefore imperative that we continue to rebuild our party, restructure it and make it stronger so that we can indeed achieve the Nigeria of our dreams.
“A new Nigeria will not be possible as it stands today without a strong and virile political party. And it is my view that the Labour Party, given our experiences in the 2023 general election, is positioned to play that role very effectively.
“I must state here clearly, that all those persons who are in the Labour Party but are not courageous enough to bring their friends, relations and followers to be members of the Labour Party but yet want to use the platform of the party to win election, need to have a rethink.
“At this point, I must quote President Barrack Obama: ‘The problem with Africa is that we build powerful individuals rather than build powerful institutions. This should be a food for thought.’
“This is paradoxical, we should be together, united, and have one mind and one spirit so that we can all jointly work together for future elections, particularly, in 2027.”
The Labour Party, a relatively new party in the country, made an impact in the 2023 general elections, with its presidential candidate Peter Obi winning 25.40% of the vote and coming third, a feat that surprised many political analysts.
The party also won several National Assembly seats, including a governorship seat in Abia state, senatorial seats in Enugu and Abia Central, and House of Representatives seats in Abia, Edo, and the FCT.
