Labour party not third force ― Obi campaign council

A spokesperson for the Peter Obi/Yusuf Datti presidential campaign council, Mr Dele Farotimi has said the Labour Party (LP) going into the 2023 elections is not a third force.

Rather, he said the Labour Party is a second force and a movement against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he described as one identical force with two branches.

Farotimi who spoke ahead of Wednesday’s presidential campaign of Mr Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti, to be held at Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, said Nigerians, in the 2023 election have to choose between the force of “good and evil.”

Speaking alongside the chief spokesperson of the ObiDatti campaign, Mr Yinusa Tanko, Farotimi described the next election as the last opportunity for Nigerians to force a change, devoid of the use of guns.

He further likened the choice before Nigerians to a choice between black and white.

Farotimi said: “When you say the third force, it is suggestive of two forces but that will be a fallacious interpretation of the Nigerian situation.

“What we actually have is one crime family with two branches. You do not have two forces that is why they move from PDP to APC, and back and forth, such that you lose touch of exactly where they are, sometimes.

“That is because they are only one with two branches. Think of it as the letter ‘Y’ which is one letter even with two branches. PDP and APC are one.

“The Labour party of today is not the Labour party of this time last year. The Labour party of today is a movement, not a party per se. You see people coming from different directions who might ordinarily not have found reasons to coalesce.

“The reality of the existential danger we are facing next year by the candidacy of the Siamese twins that we have been presented by the identical parties has brought a lot of people together to find a way to build a second force.

“It is not a third force; it is a second force.”

Speaking in the same vein, chief spokesperson of the ObiDatti presidential campaign council, Yinusa Tanko said the Labour party had become a movement for all Nigerians desirous of a better Nigeria.

Tanko said the Labour party had gone beyond being a third force and is now the first choice of Nigerians.

Speaking further, Tanko said Obi is out to run a people’s government which represents the yearnings of Nigerians.

He unveiled some of the ObiDatti administration policies as security, production-centred growth, restructuring, corruption fight, expansion of physical infrastructure, moving Nigeria towards a fourth industrial revolution, unleashing growth of entrepreneurs, youth engagement, human capital development and a robust foreign policy.

Tanko said: “Peter Obi is running to be the people’s government who represents the entire country and his plans for the economy will reflect this. Obi-Datti government will invest in infrastructure, education and affordable healthcare in Oyo State.

“The Obi-Datti administration will drive job creation by providing low-interest credit facilities and support for small businesses to make Oyo State an attractive place to do business, work and live.

“His administration will invest in the educational system from primary to secondary and tertiary level across the country and relieve the burden of high school fees placed upon the students, parents and guardians.

“Employment is one of the best ways to fight rising crime rates, keep families together and build a stable society.

“The Obi-Datti administration will provide an enabling environment for business so that more jobs can be created, ensure that workers’ salaries are paid as at when due and their rights are protected.

“Together, we will build a new Nigeria where everyone is an important stakeholder. The ObiDatti administration promises to focus on sundry problems as every person in Nigeria has a value and for us to transform our country for the better, we must do it together.

“It is time we return Nigeria to a place where we treat each other with humility and dignity.”

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