LP, Middle Belt-Southern Caucus Adopt APGA for FCT Senate

•Cede two FCT reps slots to LP

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

Members of Labour Party in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and leadership of the Middle Belt-Southern Caucus, yesterday, agreed to work together to win the three FCT National Assembly slots for both parties.

They have also adopted presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, as the sole candidate for the 2023 presidential election, just as they have reserved the two House of Representatives seats of FCT for Labour Party, saying the move was part of its strategy to sack the Peoples Democratic Party representatives at the National Assembly.

Members of both parties from the six local government areas of FCT joined by leaders of Middle Belt-Southern Caucus, a body with the composition of Labour Party and APGA, including other fringe parties, yesterday, gathered at a press briefing convoked at the Nigerian Union of Journalists Secretariat, Abuja, to express their resolve to deliver candidates adopted by the group.

Speaking during the briefing, Olisa Uzoewulu Wulus, Chairman, Middle Belt-Southern Caucus, said there must be a paradigm shift from “voting political party to voting credible and competent individuals.”

He explained that the decision was informed by “the fact that the Labour Party as presently constituted does not possess the commensurate spread but the momentum of the Peter Obi national phenomenon essentially, driven by the critical youth and aging strata of society”.

According to him, “Since the commencement of the existing democratic dispensation 24 years ago, the three elective National Assembly positions specific to the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja (FCT), the Senate and two House of Representatives have never been interrogated.

“They are the highest elective positions available to the residents of the FCT and it’s incongruous that nobody, political or cross sectoral peoples’ formations ever sat down with our representatives to find out the actual duties, functions, strengths, available options or the gamut of operations of our representatives.

“On the basis of the foregone analysis, we the Middle Belt- Southern Caucus that constitute the Majority Voters’ Bank have decided that 2023 shall come with a difference. The Concourse which is essentially a political union between the Middle Belt and Southern Peoples formations in the FCT are insisting that in order to earn our votes and support, the candidates must subscribe to a Social Contract of fair, equitable and inclusive representation, which mainstreams all the vote banks in decision making and policy formulation in legislative governance.

“We the Middle Belt and Southern Concourse hereby resolve and it has been resolved to make the following under listed declarations and adoptions as follows. We reiterate and reemphasize as before our absolute total unalloyed support and loyalty to the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi and resolve to deliver all voters for him on the Labour Party Platform given the national imperative and desire for a positive change in the national leadership in our nation Nigeria.

“For the critical position of senator of the federal capital territory, we have declared our unalloyed and total support and adoption for the candidate of the APGA, Dr. Anthony Chike Ezekwugo.

“We equally declare our support and adoption of Mr Chinedu Obika for the house of representatives in the AMAC/BWARI Federal Constituency and Mrs Joy Ohiomora  for the Abaji/ Kuje / Kwali and Gwagwalada Federal Legislative Constituency, both of the Labour Party.”