The once-vibrant Labour Party, or LP, seems to be losing support and members nationwide ahead of the general elections in 2027.
With 34 members in the House of Representatives and eight senators, the LP reportedly had the third-largest caucus in the National Assembly when the members-elect were sworn in on June 13, 2023.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have the most members.
The previously unknown Labour Party had become a national force, especially in the Southeast, South-South, North-Central, and Lagos regions, thanks to the Peter Obi effect.
A number of Labour Party lawmakers who capitalized on Obi’s popularity were elected thanks to the top-to-bottom voting pattern.
After 18 months, the National Assembly’s Labour Party caucus is quickly shrinking.
This is because of a wave of defections that rocked the party and court decisions that expelled four members: Senator Darlington Nwakocha, Stainless Nwodo from Enugu, Emeka Nnamani from Abia, and Chijioke Okereke from Enugu.
The ruling APC has gained six members of the House of Representatives from the Labour Party in only the past ten days.
Four party members departed on the same day last week: Esosa Iyawe (Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo); Mathew Donatus (Kaura Federal Constituency, Kaduna); Akiba Bassey (Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Constituency); and Chinedu Okere (Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/Owerri West Constituency).
Alfred Ajang and Dalyop Chollom, both from Plateau State, gave up “Mama, Papa, and Pikin” this week and adopted the APC’s “broom.”
Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi also left the Labour Party for the APC earlier in July.
Surprise Defections
It was discovered that several members of the House had departed from the party without formally announcing their departure on the House floor.
For instance, a few weeks ago, Thaddeus Atta, a member of the Labour Party, was spotted wearing a headpiece with President Bola Tinubu’s symbol on it, which fueled allegations that he had joined the ruling party.
Most outgoing MPs are citing the continuing leadership crisis in the Labour Party as an excuse to avoid fines under Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that a defector’s seat must be declared empty.
However, the law provides an exception in cases where the party is split. It provides the following:
“68. (1) A member of the Senate or the House of Representatives shall vacate their seat in the House if—
“being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, they become a member of another political party before the expiration of the term of the House, provided that the membership of the latter political party is due to a division in the former party or a merger of two or more parties or factions of which they were previously a member.”
The National Working Committee (NWC), headed by Julius Abure, and another group, led by Abia State Governor Alex Otti, have been at odds within the Labour Party.
Reaction of the Party
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Julius Abure-led NWC said it had filed a lawsuit against the six lawmakers who had defected.
The party promised to demand the restoration of any wages, emoluments, and privileges that the MPs have received since their defection in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh.
“These defections are unfortunate and condemnable. Politicians who abandon their constituents during critical times expose themselves as untrustworthy and undeserving of future public confidence,” Ifoh stated.
In the House, the head of the Labour Party caucus, George Ozodinobi, has been using the 2027 elections a warning against defecting lawmakers.
“I want to wish those of us who think defecting from Labour to APC is their best decision in politics well. We look forward to meeting them again in 2027, if they have the opportunity to be here.
“And for those of us still contemplating moving to another party, we wish you well,” Ozodinobi said following the latest defection,” he said.
The other faction’s willingness to back the Abure-led NWC in its fight against the defectors is uncertain.
Uncertain Future
Due to the ongoing turmoil and rumors that Peter Obi is quitting the Labour Party to join the PDP, it was noted that many members of the party are unsure about their future inside the organization.
When Obi met with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar a few weeks ago, speculation about his intentions increased, stoking rumors of a possible combined ticket in 2027.
The Game of Numbers
The Labour Party’s representation in the National Assembly has drastically decreased as a result of the recent defections.
The Labour Party’s MPs in the House of Representatives have decreased from 34 to 26, and its number of senators has decreased from eight to six.
There are now 32 members of the party in the National Assembly. The NNPP, on the other hand, has 22 legislators.
The Labour Party runs the risk of dropping to the fourth-largest party in the National Assembly if it keeps losing members.
