2019: Defectors Won’t Get Our Ticket, Says Labour Party

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Labour Party (LP) has said last minute’s defectors to the party will not be considered to fly the party’s ticket in 2019 unless they join now to help rebuild the party.

The National Chairman of LP, Mr. Mike Omotosho, who made the assertion at a media parley in Abuja at the weekend also weighed in on the controversy over the deployment of $1billion describing the decision to use the money to tackle insecurity in just one area of the country as not proper.”

Speaking on the preparations for the next general elections in 2019, Omotosho, assured that  Nigerians will see a brand new LP, saying: “We would ensure that everybody is carried along primarily, or more importantly ensure that everybody has a stake in who governs them and how they are being governed.”

He sued for all well-meaning Nigerians to join the LP today, so that together they can all advance a course for the development of our nation.

On spate of defections that has hit the country’s political space in recent times, Omotosho said that Labour will do everything possible to discourage the scourge, adding that defectors may not be considered for the party’s ticket in the next general elections.

Omotosho said: “We want people that want to stay with us, build the structures with us and hopefully win and when they win, the chances of defecting will be slim if not brought down to zero.

“I mean, if you are part of building a house, the chances of pulling down that house will be very slim but if you are there to just rent, you can do whatever you want to do.

“So, we are not going to be available as a platform for defectors anymore. They should come in now and this is an opportunity for credible aspirants to come in, join the party and let’s build the party of our future together and have that desired nation that we all crave for.”

While reacting to the ongoing fuel queues in the country, the LP boss said that federal government ought to have responded more decisively to normalise the situation.

“I expect a very responsive government to do the something, project ahead of what they think may be the bottlenecks and then begin to provide solutions and prepare plans for it ahead of time.

“Even accidents too on the road because a lots of people will be travelling in this season, so we expect responsible government to anticipate what problems are likely going to be and be very proactive and begin to take actions.”

While criticising the APC government over the recently approved $1bn to fight insurgency in the North-east, Omotosho believe that such money should have been used to cater for problem in other regions as well.

“The LP is totally concerned, very concerned about the deployment of such huge amount of money to just one area of the country. Yes, they are part of the people of this country, they are part of the people whose interests we represent but you will agree with me that there are lots of cries from other parts of the country as well.

“Beyond issue of the deployment of the money, the major concern of people out there is that, how are we sure that these funds will be judiciously spent for what it is meant to be spent for.

“If we get all of these details and everybody can truly see not just the willingness to implement, but the ability and capabilities to actually implement in a transparent and accountable way, it becomes a lot easier,” he said