The Labour Party’s (LP) Presidential Candidate in the February 25th election, Peter Obi is at loggerheads with some Senators and House of Representatives members elected on the platform of the party over his alleged attempt to foist Senator Abdulaziz Yari and Mukhtar Betara as candidates for Senate President and Speaker of the incoming 10th Assembly.
Reported details of a clandestine meeting reportedly held at an eatery in Wuse II Abuja, had revealed that Peter Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed have allegedly been pushing the LPs incoming legislators to work for the emergence of Yari and Betara during the inauguration of the 10th NASS on June 13tg, 2023.
A source privy to the meetings informed on condition of anonymity that, Obi and Datti have held different meetings telling the LP lawmakers, pushing them to work against consensus candidates of the APC in the Senate and the House, which the source stated that the attempts have so far met brick walls as the lawmakers-elect have their choices.
“First, we met with Datti before now, and he said unequivocally that we can’t vote Tajudeen Abbas, Akpabio or any other candidates they (APC) are supporting.
“He told us that Abbas was endorsed by the APC to suppress him and Kalu was endorsed to suppress Otti (Abia State Governor). The meeting ended in stalemate. Chopsticks was the venue,” the source stated.
The source noted that, having met a brick wall with their previous attempt, another meeting was held on Monday night at a venue in Wuse Zone 5, to further persuade the LP elected federal legislators on the need to work against anything pro-APC on June 13th.
“Another meeting held on Monday around Zone 5. Obi was present. He said he was endorsing Yari for SP and Betara for Speaker, and compelled all LP members-elect to vote Betara and Yari.
“Ideologically, he’s forcing us. If that is the case, there’s nothing new about LP.He’s able to get one person away from the Abbas project among us. It’s a female. He wants to force us to do what he wants, but no way,” the lawmaker-elect added.
He added that, Obi’s attempts to force the LP lawmakers-elect to do his bidding negates his claimed “democratic credentials”.
“They plan to call us for another meeting this coming weekend, I think on Sunday. It will be to say that LP has decided to vote for Yari and Betara.
“He’s telling us that the party is supreme, but how do we support someone that is rebellious against his party?If he calls for division, we’ll have the majority, but he won’t do that.
“At the meeting we held, some of us said we are adults and we should be allowed to make our choices. So, we won’t back down.How can Peter Obi that people are shouting his name up and down as a democrat now turn to be undemocratic?” the lawmaker-elect wondered aloud”.
