Udengs Eradiri, the former Labour Party governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, has criticised the party’s leadership.
Eradiri, who recently left the Labour Party, said the political platform is corrupt and unprincipled like the existing parties in the country.
Explaining his decision to quit the party, Eradiri said he was disheartened by the actions of the electorate and the political class.
“I thought Nigerians truly meant it when they cried for good governance. It’s just a farce. Nigerians are not serious. They’re just looking for who will give them money,” he told Punch.
Eradiri recounted his experience campaigning across Bayelsa State, witnessing extreme poverty and neglect. Yet, on Election Day, he said, voters prioritized monetary inducements over genuine leadership.
“In my village, money was deployed in millions. It was ‘see and buy.’ The election was a disgrace,” he lamented.
He also criticized the complicity of security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the flawed process.
Eradiri accused the Labour Party’s national leadership of corruption and mismanagement, alleging that party officials in Bayelsa sold him out during the election.
“The state said they sent N50 million to Abuja, but when it came to sharing, the people in Abuja said, ‘The money agreed was N100 million, why are you bringing N50 million?’”
He further claimed the Labour Party’s National Chairman failed to address allegations of corruption in Bayelsa, despite taking swift action in similar cases in other states like Rivers and Imo.
“The revelation from Abuja has shown that they are as rotten as the same system they claim to be fighting,” he said.
Eradiri also revealed that he paid N25 million for his nomination form—N10 million more than others—under the promise of a refund, which he has yet to receive.
A former activist and commissioner, Eradiri expressed frustration with the state’s handling of its abundant natural resources.
“Bayelsa is too rich to be in this quagmire. What are we doing with the resources we have?”
Eradiri, now seeking new political avenues, described his foray into politics as an eye-opener.
“I was fooled into thinking leadership in Nigeria could be different. But I remain committed to the ideals of good governance and will continue to fight for change,” he concluded.
