Nigerian Labor Party: Why We Are Not In Opposition Merger

Dan Nwanyanwu, national chairman of the Nigerian Labor Party. The party opposes a merger with other opposition groups., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Labour Party: Why We are Not in Opposition Merger

13 Apr 2013
By Onyebuchi Ezigbo
Nigeria ThisDay

The Labour Party has advanced reason why it has refused to be part of the on-going merger talks by some leading opposition political parties in the country the promoters lack concrete ideology to support the initiative.

The party's National Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu restated Labour party's position while speaking to journalists at the end of the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Thursday night in Abuja.

He said the party was averse to the idea of forming an organisation that revolves around a few personalities which the present opposition merger represents.

"The party's NEC reiterates that whereas mergers between political parties are desirable and should be encouraged, such mergers should be mergers of ideas and not of personalities which is usually set up for the sole aim of grabbing power," he said. On the effort towards ensuring fair-play and improving on the conduct of elections in the country, the party commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the achievements recorded in the elections in Edo and Ondo states.

"Labour Party NEC commends President Jonathan for providing an enabling environment for all.

The Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko who attended the NEC meeting also praised the determined efforts of President Jonathan towards ensuring improvement in the electoral process.

Mimiko who gave Jonathan credit for the peaceful and credible conduct of the last governorship election in Ondo state, urged Nigerians to join hands with the Federal Government to reform the country and make it better.

Speaking in support of Labour Party's boycott of the party merger, a legal practitioner and former Senatorial candidate of the party, Mr. Kayode Ajulo, said the country is yet to witness a true merger of political parties.

According to Ajulo what is presently going on between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is mere reconciliatory talks of parties that broke up previously.