Politics
Atiku Congratulates Biden
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has congratulated the United States President-elect, Joe Biden, on his “well-deserved victory” at the November 3 elections.
In a statement he signed on Saturday in Abuja, Abubakar urged Biden to build on U.S.-Nigeria relations
He said that he looked forward to the age-long collaboration between the two nations in the course of the advancement of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all peoples.
Abubakar said that he also looks forward to a Biden global leadership in the war on terror, and partnership with Nigeria to end the terror and poverty-related insecurities facing Nigeria.
He said that Nigeria and the U.S. are two nations, united by a common language.
“Nigeria and the free world have much to learn from your victory, especially your pronouncement that you will not be a President for only those who voted for you.
“May such sentiments echo and reecho globally.
“Not only do I congratulate you on your victory, but I also urge you to build on US-Nigeria relations, especially on widening the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for seamless interplay with the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA).
“Only by fair trade will Africa fulfill its potential, and a prosperous Africa is good for the United States and the world.”
Politics
LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction
Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.
“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”
The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.
“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.
“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.
“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”
Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.
He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”
He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.
“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”
Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.
“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.
