The Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation has unveiled a 1,234-member strong National Campaign Council, NCC, for Labour Party, headed by Mohammed Zarewa as chairman, and Comrade Clement Ojukwu as secretary.
Director-General of the Peter Obi Campaign Organisation, Dr. Doyin Okupe, retained his position as DG of the NCC.
Dr. Yunusa Tanko was also appointed as the chief spokesman of the campaign on a day that the party raised a 27-man Presidential Advisory Council which also has Prof. Pat Utomi.
This was made public by the National Organising Secretary, Mr. Clement Ojukwu, at a Pre-Campaign Press Conference, in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He also named the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, as Chairman of the Advisory Council of the NCC while Oseloka Obaze was named General Manager.
Ojukwu explained that they “carefully compiled this list. The six geo-political zones, youths, people living with disabilities and women were all involved.”
Members of the NCC include Comrade Ayuba Waba, Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi, Senator Victor Lar, Hajia Ireti Kingibe, Alhaji Farouk Ibrahim, Mr. Gbenga Daramola, Mrs Dud Manuga, Alhaji Saleh Lawal, Dr Ken Robinson, Chief Sola Ebiseni, Dr Bitrus Boutrou, Dr Olorunfemi Ayo, Chief Godwin Agbasimelo, Amb Moses Oriri, Gen. Harrison Adoga, retd, James Apam, Dr Bako Zazing, and Professor Haruna Dabin.
Also listed are Professor Joseph Golwa, Mr. Bitrus Kaze, Chief Peter Ameh, Gen Yakubu Usman, retd, Mr Danladi Bako, Sen. Joel Danladi, Alhaji Yusuf Jajere, Sen Nenadi Usman, Dr Alex Oti, Senator Victor Umeh, Dr Tony Nwoye, Dr Obinna Uzor, Afam Ogene, Mr. Val Ozigbo, Chijioke Edeoga, Professor Barth Nnaji, Senator Chris Anyanwu, Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi, Professor Nnamdo Obiareri, Pastor Iniobong Udo, Capt. Augustine Okon, Chief Patrick Okomiso and Yussuf Lasun.
The rest include Dr Tanko Yunusa, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, Nnamdi Okosieme, , Paul Mumeh, Tunde Odanye, Professor Remi Sonaiya, Chief Chris Asoluka, Chief Ajaegbo, Mr Kanayo O. Kanayo, Gen Chris Eze, retd, Senator Sola Akinyede, Senator Joel Danmusa, Professor Femi Shaka, Senator Femi Okunronmu, Kayode Ajulo, Valentine Obieyem, Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, and Gen Segun Ojo, retd, among others.
‘NCC transcends ethnic, religious bias’
Earlier, the D-G of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said the Obidient Movement, which currently drives the Presidential campaign of the Labour Party, and Peter Obi transcends ethnicity and religious bias.
Okupe said if each of the presidential candidates were to be pre-qualified the candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar would have since been disqualified.
Okupe predicted that PDP’s internal crisis will continue to fester because its candidate, Atiku Abubakar emerged after “a skewed party primary,” which jettisoned the time-tested respect for zoning and rotation of power as enshrined in its constitution.
For the APC, the LP campaign DG noted that the party shot itself on the foot with its unjustifiable and indefensible Muslim-Muslim ticket, which he said is a clear indication that the party lacks respect for Nigeria’s religious diversity.
His words: “On May 30, 2022, Mr. Peter Obi was entrusted by the membership of our great Labour Party as its Presidential Candidate for the 2023 election , after the PDP had failed in courage to live up to the due process. In the dramatic sequence of these events, our candidate’s entry into this political race has resulted in an explosion of excitement across the vastness of Nigeria, in the Diaspora, and indeed the global community.
“This has been lovingly and organically expressed in his overwhelming acceptance by the people of Nigeria, through the robust and endearing presentation of his record, personality, vision, policies and promise.
“There is no doubt that this ascendancy of our presidential ticket, to prime position in the hearts and minds of the Nigerian people, has been fuelled by the patriotic zeal, vibrancy, creativity and shining example, in discipline, character and decency of the Obidient movement.
“Unknown to many, a significant number of the youths and drivers of this movement are active members and supporters of the other political parties such as the APC and PDP, who could not ignore the overbearing superiority in leadership quality, personal disposition, national appeal, private and public service record, and the clear-cut expression of vision and governance solutions, which Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed have come to represent, for all true lovers of progress and national rebirth.”
The campaign D-G noted that the renewed zeal among Nigerians to change the narrative positively was largely inspired by the catalogue of failed promises and missed opportunities by successive regimes.
He said: “The truth is that the errors of the past, have done painful incalculable damage, to the psyche of our people, the economy of our country, the peaceful existence and security of every citizen, and to the quality of our public services and our private lives. President Buhari has just presented the 2022/23 budget to the National Assembly, and in that document, it can be seen that of the 20.5 trillion naira budgeted, actual revenue available to fund the budget is 9.73 trillion naira, leaving a deficit of almost 11 trillion naira, with fuel subsidy alone, gulping 3.6 trillion naira, in the first six months of next year.
“In effect, this means that the present economic situation, as it affects the common people, is not likely to abate, and I say this not in exaggeration or to heighten fears, but in vivid and responsible assessment of the stark reality.
“So, at this time in our history, there can be no middle ground, in the requirement for informed, effective and firm leadership, to begin the hard work of turning around our national story and cloudy outlook.”
While appealing to security forces to be professional in their duties as Nigerians go to the polls, he said: “Our appeal to the security agencies, judiciary, our retired military and police officers, the middle class, civil servants, professional bodies and pensioners, is that this is no time for complacency or conspiracy. You must position as a strong vanguard against evil, contributing your patriotic voices and inputs, firmly in defense of Nigeria’s corporate existence.
“We charge you to stand tall against all nefarious political practices, and vile tendencies, that may want to sabotage the peace and progressive march of our dear country. To all our religious torchbearers and revered traditional leaders, we request that you intensify prayers and coordinated community efforts against miscreants and rascals that may want to truncate the destiny of our dear country.”
To the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, he said: “We say, this is the your biggest test in recent history, and you have no choice, but to act as a fair, impartial, fearless and patriotic umpire, in the coming elections. We have noted with extreme concern and worry the revelations by the Congress of Political Parties, CUPP, as to how presumed agents of the ruling party have infiltrated and compromised the INEC voter registration portals in 18 states.
“We have also noted, painfully, the concerns expressed by various NGOs about how the ruling APC has smuggled card-carrying members of the party into the INEC officials appointment process, setting them up as RECs, and other key operational personnel.
“We have also seen citizens in various parts of the country recovering thousands of voters’ cards, dumped in drainages and refuse dumps.
“It is also instructive that these patriotic concerns, have been largely ignored by the government of the day.
“What all these convey is that efforts are already afoot to compromise INEC as a way of sabotaging the country’s democratic election process, and the will of the people to freely choose the leaders they want in a free, fair and credible election.
“What we are sure of, however, is that, in the fullness of time, no criminal manipulation will succeed in these elections, whether they be computer or electronically conceived or manually and martially enforced.
“It is our hope and expectation that INEC and its leadership will choose to write their name in gold, and give their conscience a dose of good health, by doing what is right, noble and patriotic.”
