The Imeobi Igbo Forum, a pan-Igbo grassroots sociocultural organization, has asked the newly elected Comrade Joseph Ajjaero-led leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC to declare their support for any of the presidential candidates of the foremost political parties contesting the 2023 presidential election in the country.

Imeobi Igbo said having just been elected at the recently concluded 13th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the NLC in Abuja on Tuesday 7th February, it is high time the new NLC leadership declare their stand for any of the presidential candidates to enable the entire labour workforce to cheer such a candidate to victory.

National President of Imeobi Igbo, Dr Mike Ikegulu who stated this in a press statement he issued to newsmen yesterday, via SMS, said it is worrisome that after listening to his lengthy acceptance speech, Ajaero did not make any mention of the Labour Party or Peter Obi.

According to Imeobi Igbo, “Ajaero’s stand on the candidate to support was vague and non-committal. If anything, his plan for the next government, hopefully, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, is confrontational and as such,

Imeobi Igbo Forum is asking whether the rumoured divorce between the Labour Party and NLC is now official?”

“Days to the 2023 general elections, IIF enquires of when the labour movement in Nigeria will come for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of LP.

In July 2022, the former NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in an interview, said that workers have recovered the LP and have activated their political commission in all 36 states of Nigeria in preparation for the 2023 general elections. Wabba said that the Nigeria workers were conscientious to actively participate in the democratic dispensation, after the NLC political summit

"The LP is a party registered and promoted by the NLC. In fact, statutorily, NLC & TUC are Central Executive Committee CEC members of LP. They have offices in 774 LGAs of Nigeria’s 36 States. The labour movement can fill the structure gap that the discredited parties are boasting about as there are workers in every nook and cranny of Nigeria.

“We are yet to feel the impact of the labour movement on the fortunes of LP. More worrisome is the continued flirtation with other political parties. Let NLC and TUC show up now and join the movement if they still believe in birthing a new Nigeria or forever remain silent and obscure. It’s not a time to pander to ethnic, religious and monetary considerations but to mobilize the Nigeria workforce in both NLC and TUC to go get their PVCs and vote Peter Obi to change the narrative in Nigeria.

“Peter Obi, not only belongs to the labour movement but is the best of all the leading candidates for President,” he said. (Vanguard)

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