Comrade Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party is a journalist by training, media
practitioner and two-time Special Assistant on Media to state governors. In this exclusive interview with our Publisher, Precious Enebuse, he vents his opinions on government policies and programs, inter-party affairs.
Excerpts:
May we meet you and have an insight into your background before current status as the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party?
My name is Comrade Obiora Ifoh. I am a journalist and have worked in different flagship newspapers in the last 25 years including Daily Times, Daily Independent, National Mirror, Leadership and Champion where I resigned recently as the Abuja Bureau Chief and Editor, Northern Region. I have also served as Special Assistant, Media to two state governors. I have also played an advisory role to the Labour Party leadership since 2010. It was these roles and experiences that led to my appointment by the party to formally take full charge of the party’s publicity. How has your party fared in the politics of Nigeria? The Labour Party is a child of destiny in that by this time last year we were not among the top parties in Nigeria. However, with the emergence of our National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, a lot began to happen. He worked hard to reposition our party and made it a beautiful bride. The result being the flurry of activities that led to the exodus into the party. Today, we are proud to say that the Labour Party is the most popular political party in Nigeria. This is evident from the result of the last general election where over 10 million Nigerians voted massively for the party. The Labour Party is a movement and no gang up can stop an idea whose turn has come. However, we are still a work in progress.
You are the National Publicity Secretary of LP. What was your party’s reaction to the 2023 presidential election? Are you satisfied with the outcome of the election?
Our reaction is two-fold. One we are satisfied with the massive support from Nigerians for the party. ‘Elupee’ has become a household name. The brand is already ingrained. However, we are dissatisfied with the endpoint of the election, in that what the people worked for, laboured for, and sacrificed so much for was stolen, not on the field but in the boardroom. Nigerians all over spoke with one voice about their desire for a new Nigeria and they spoke unanimously on their choice of the driver but the political principalities and powers, and wickedness in the high places are working round the clock to abort that collective destiny of Nigerians. As you know, we are already challenging both the process and the outcome of the presidential election.
Recently, we learnt that your party had withdrawn his case from the election tribunal. How true is this? That is not true. Our matter is ongoing and it is being heard. We believe we won the election and have trust in the judiciary that they will do the right thing. Having said that, we know that the APC had infiltrated the Labour Party through some of our disgruntled officers to ensure a crisis in the party and to create a semblance of factionalism. These groups led by the suspended former deputy National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa have entered into alliance with the APC to frustrate our efforts to reclaim our mandate. Part of their modus operandi is to apply to election tribunals withdrawing case files of some of our candidates. They have done it successfully in some tribunals but they have not succeeded in our primus case, that is the presidential. We are however on alert and watchful.
How do you rate Buhari’s performances placed side by side with his counterparts in the African continent? In a few words,
The last eight years have been years of locust and cankerworm. It has been wasted years that Nigerians will not forget in a hurry. By their own admittance, they failed in their three-fold governance focus particularly in the areas of Security, Corruption and Economy. Space will not permit me to elucidate on the calamitous performance of this administration. Never in the history of Nigeria have we witnessed this level of policy incongruity. Nigeria has been turned into a borrower nation, in fact three weeks to the expiration of this government, they are still requesting billions of dollar loan. The unborn may never get over the crisis created by this government. Insecurity has been taken to another level and criminals have free days routing the entire hemisphere of Nigeria. Our bushes and mountains are now second homes to helpless Nigerians who are forcefully abducted and are forced to buy their freedom and buried in shallow graves. Under this administration, lives have become short and brutish and corruption has attained unimaginable height. Politics in Nigeria today seems to be more problematic, especially for our politicians given the nonchalance and unpreparedness of those who occupy political office now.
As an astute politician and a professional media man, what advice will you give to our politicians so that hey can leave a better legacy for the incoming generation?
First advice is to respect the rights of the electorate to decide who should lead them. The products of a rue election will always be accountable to the people that elected them. But when you impose leadership, you will hardly get the needed cooperation from the people.
When you buy your way to the office you will naturally work to aggrandize self and cronies in what we called in political science, prebendalism. You will continue to work for the interest of a few lap dogs and you will never get the right advice or counsels. Secondly, one cannot give what he does not have. The campaigns have a way of foretelling the capacity and capability of a leadership. When someone cannot simply articulate programs and ideals of what you will do when entrusted with power, there will certainly be no magic to perform when you get such an opportunity. To be qualified to be called His Excellency, you must be excellent in your dispositions but when fraudulently acquire position, you owe no one and that is what breeds the nonchalance on the parts of the office holders.
Lastly, what is your message to the Obidents and other Nigerians especially with regards to your matter currently in court and the perceived divisive tendencies that tends to rock your party at the moment?
One of the greatest strengths we get in this battle to reclaim our mandate is the massive support we get daily from the untiring Obidients and other Nigerians. Every day I receive hundreds of emails from Nigerians urging us to trudge on and not be weakened by the antics of the anti-democratic elements. We know that the battle will not be easy. Dislodging a political behemoth all over the world, those who benefit from the sweat and bloods of fellow Nigeria few who will do nothing but to manipulate the system for self, family and friends, has never been easy. Let me assure Nigerians and particularly, all the Obidients that will not vacillate in our determined efforts to win back Nigeria for them. We are convinced that this battle is of the Lord, it is a battle of good over evil and God has since given us victory. We shall overcome and shall soon celebrate our liberation from bondage.
Thank you for your time,
