IZUCHUKWU ADICHIE
The Labour Party (LP) finally finds itself at an extinction juncture as the remaining foundational members and major support group in Anambra have abandoned the party to join the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to bolster the Soludo-led administration’s transformative government. This mass exodus signals a permanent end for the LP, which has long been declared nonexistent in the state. The departure of these key members proves a troubling end, highlighting the party’s continued struggles in the politics of Anambra.
The abandonment of the party by the Oga Ndi Oga warriors—who were the original LP members and grassroots support group in Anambra—on Saturday, December 14, at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Center, led by their national coordinator, Chief Rochas Orji, along with state and local government coordinators, serves as a testament that Anambra is APGA land. There is no opposition party. Soludo has done well and APGA will continue to provide Ndi Anambra and progressive Nigerians with good governance and the dividends of democracy.
This moment follows a series of challenges that have hit the LP, proven a deepening crisis within the party at both the national and state levels. There have been accusations against the LP party leadership and the office of the presidential aspirant regarding the diversion of funds meant for the 2023 presidential elections, favoritism in candidate nominations during previous elections, a lack of due process in party affairs, lack of credible and passionate members, and attempts by some overly ambitious new members to hijack the already dead party.