Labour Party members in the 10th National Assembly, who rode on the mass appeal and popularity of the obidient movement to win elections, may have lost the vibes of a viable opposition
Since the beginning of the last decade, there has been a growing awareness and new level of consciousness among the Nigerian populace on the crucial role they play in the decision-making process of governance and the sustenance of democratic rule. The primary cause of youth unrest in most parts of the country has been the inability of succeeding political administrations to implement inclusive governance through credible elections. This highlighted the reasons behind the widespread endeavour by individuals, particularly youths, to challenge the status quo in Nigerian politics.
Obidient movement and roots of #EndSARS…
Initially existing on social media and made up of youths across the country, the “obidient tribe” as a veritable vehicle gained a groundswell of support offline aimed at dislodging the corrupt and incompetent politicians and bringing in leaders with capacity, character, competence and credibility, qualities that have been lacking in most politicians. For several years, the hashtag #EndSARS had been used to protest police brutality, the dastardly conduct of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), on social media but for the first time, Nigerian youths took the protest to the streets in large nationwide crowds in October 2020. The ensuing fracas led to the death of many Nigerian youths as well as the arrest and detention of dozens of others. The highpoint was the Lekki toll gate massacre, as several human rights organisations have called it. It was against this backdrop that many looked forward to a neutral ‘third force’ to disrupt the establishment stranglehold in the 2023 general election. The emergence of Peter Gregory Obi as presidential candidate soon became both a rallying and catalytic force for the beleagued youths. A former vice presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as a two-term governor of Anambra State, Obi’s emergence as candidate of the Labour Party (LP) ignited “the obidient” movement intoa frenzy. The Party for Social Democracy (PSD), under which the party was originally founded in 2002, was officially renamed the Labour Party after the 2003 general election. Up until 2023, the party was obscure, with very little presence in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Riding the Obidient wave into 10th NASS…
The Labour Party, taunted as a party without “structure,” shocked many at the February 25 National Assembly (NASS) elections by emerging as the biggest winner outside the two big parties (APC and PDP), winning a sizeable state and national legislative seats and a governorship in Abia. In the National Assembly, it secured 7 senate seats and 34 House of Representatives members. Till today many obidients still believe the party was simply rigged out by powerful incumbents in cahoot with compromised electoral officials. Upon inauguration into parliament, these NASS obidients were duly charged by the leadership of the LP to ensure quality representation and champion policies and programmes that will benefit all Nigerians. But has that been the case?
Are Obidient lawmakers measuring up to expectations?
Labour leaders are renowned for their empathy, initiative, selflessness, transparency, and people-orientedness, among other traits. Nonetheless, it appears that the current LP representatives in the National Assembly are disconnected from the party’s ideology and the driving ethos of the obidient movement. A simple desk research shows that many of them did not become flagbearers for the legislative elections by being workers or long-time members of the labour party, but rather by riding the bandwagon effect of Peter Obi’s popularity. Although, there has been a media statement or two by the party caucus and a few individual members, LP lawmakers in the House of Representatives generally have not shown considerable spark of opposition expected of them on pressing national issues. In the senate, there have however been a few cases where obidient senators were vocal.
Are we your slaves?
The appointment of principal officers of the minority caucus of the senate provided occasion for an obidient senator to hug headlines. Following a judicial tsunami which swept away the leadership of the caucus, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio had named Abba Moro, (PDP, Benue South) as minority leader and Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) as minority whip. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members replaced Simon Mwadkwon, (PDP, Plateau North and Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central) who were both sacked by the court. Soon after Akpabio finished making the announcements said to be from the minority caucus, an altercation ensued on the floor of parliament. Since none of the LP lawmakers were given any principal position, Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North) stood up, lamenting that it was unfair for the senate president to choose leaders for the minority caucus.
He began to yell, “Are we your slaves? Why would the senate president be picking leaders for us? You have done your worst. You have pushed us to the wall. Meaning what? It is unfair. It is not about me, it is about the institution of the senate. Every time, you keep on picking leadership for us. Are we your slaves? The way you were elected is the way i was elected. The highest you can do is suspend me.”
After some senators pacified Nwoye, Akpabio explained that the two minority leaders had shown the signatories of senators who agreed with the decision.“Minority, put your house in order first. The senate president can only work with what is before me. You have senator Abaribe and Aliero. Their names are not here,” he quipped.
Ireti versus Wike battles
Senator Ireti Kingibe, an obidient LP senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has also been vocal over how she has been marginalised in the senate on issues concerning her constituency. She had lamented on how “the FCT supplementary budget is presented today but I am not even aware of the whole procedure, I was not invited to any meeting where the budget was discussed.” She had also lamented how the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, had refused to respond to her letters and messages in the wake of the rising insecurity in Abuja. According to her, there is a big disconnect between the FCT minister and the elected officials of the territory, saying, “part of the problem we are having is that there is a big disconnect between the FCT minister and elected officials, myself and the members of the House of Representatives.”
Muted on NASS scandals…
There were some controversial issues that involving the National Assembly where majority of citizens voiced their disapproval of lawmakers’ actions. While many expected the labour party lawmakers to speak on behalf of the citizens, they remained mute. Some of these instances were:
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SUV purchase
During the controversial purchase of SUV cars for lawmakers, the LP legislators neither voiced opposition to the anti-people policy of purchasing expensive luxury vehicles for lawmakers nor did any of them pretend to reject the vehicles. Months later, Senator Neda Imasuen (Edo South) of the Labour party, reacted by saying that it was unfair for Nigerians to criticise them for not rejecting the vehicles reportedly worth N160m for each lawmaker. Imasuen, who is chairman, senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions, said LP lawmakers in the National Assembly are too few to stop the plan to buy luxury vehicles.
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Suspension of Ningi on budget padding allegations
The budget padding suspension saga of Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) was another missed opportunity for LP senators to stand out as a viable opposition. Public expectation was that since Peter Obi had spoken on thematter by saying that the senate failed to address vital issues in the allegation raised by the lawmaker, obidients in the senate would be inspired to take up the issue. Taking to his X handle, Obi had posted: “.As the senate suspension of the senator involved has not addressed the issue, they still owe the Nigerian public a clear clarification over the various claims and counterclaims, including that of the executive arm, to be able to know exactly what is happening, and also disclose to the public, the exact amounts allocated for constituency projects for appropriate monitoring of implementation by the public.We must, as a matter of urgency, put a stop to all the wastage of our scarce resources, amid the excruciating hardship in the country.”
However, Labour Party lawmakers remained silent on the matter. Reacting to this silence from the LP lawmakers, political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, slammed them and other opposition political parties for failing to protest the worsening economic hardship in the country. According to him, opposition parties lead protests in other climes. Also speaking on the issue, a party chieftain in Enugu State, Nnadume Offorkansi, said the LP senators’ silence on the matter was disappointing. He said the senators elected on the platform of the party have not lived up to the principles of the obidient movement, which enabled their victory during the 2023 general elections. In his words, “The silence of senators of the LP on this matter falls below the principle of the Obedient movement. Peter Obi represented an ideology during the 2023 polls. Nigerians welcomed the idea and sacrificed a lot. We wanted our elected senators to replicate the same at the National Assembly. But our NASS members have joined the bandwagon. I feel disappointed that LP senators have not condemned what is happening at the Senate,” he added.
