• Warns that tension in Rivers, Osun, Lagos may worsen
• As LP flays Ozigbo over defection
Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take immediate action to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy, warning that political tensions in Rivers, Osun, and Lagos states could spiral out of control.
In a statement, yesterday, made available to The Guardian in Jalingo, Taraba State, by the party, the National Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, said the party recently held an emergency meeting to discuss what he described as “anti-democratic developments” in these states.
“We at ZLP sincerely bemoan the ugly and anti-democracy music booming in Rivers, Osun, and Lagos states. We call on President Tinubu to halt this disturbing trend, especially since it is allegedly coming from his political associates,” Nwanyanwu stated.
The party cautioned against attempts to replicate past political crises, drawing comparisons to the violent unrest of the “Wild Wild West” era in the Southwest and militant activities in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Nwanyanwu pointed to the ongoing crisis in Rivers State, questioning the legality of 27 state lawmakers who defected from their party despite no division at the national level.
He highlighted that the legislators had affidavits confirming their defection, only to later attempt to retract them.
The ZLP also criticised the withholding of funds and other political manoeuvres that had fueled the crisis, warning that unchecked political privilege was endangering democratic stability.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic struggles in the 1990s, Nwanyanwu reminded Tinubu of their shared history in the pro-democracy movement, emphasising that many of today’s political actors were absent from that fight.
The party urged the President to intervene urgently, noting that Nigeria’s democracy was in a fragile state. It warned that if Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State were impeached in a non-transparent manner, it could provoke unrest, potentially leading to economic sabotage by militant groups.
IN a related development, the Labour Party has launched a scathing attack on Val Ozigbo, accusing the former Anambra State governorship candidate of political desperation and betrayal following his exit from the party. In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party dismissed Ozigbo’s recent criticisms, describing him as a serial defector, who sought political platforms only to abandon them when personal ambitions were not met.
“Ozigbo contested the 2021 Anambra governorship election under the PDP and lost. He later joined the Labour Party, not out of loyalty, but to ride on the wave of our presidential candidate’s popularity. Now, he is turning against the very party that gave him relevance,” the statement read.
