The Labour Party (LP) has dissociated itself from the proposed merger arrangement by former Vice President of Nigeria and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
In a press release issued Thursday morning and signed by LP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, Labour Party told Alhaji Abubakar off, saying he is on his own.
In the statement entitled “Labour Party not into any merger arrangement with any political party“, the party urged its members and followers to “disregard the sensational news making the round which suggests that Labour Party is working out a merger arrangement” with other political parties.
Earlier, Atiku Abubakar had called on all political parties to collaborate and stop what he termed “one-party dictatorship” by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He made the call on Tuesday, November 14, during a meeting with the National Executive Committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Council Nigeria (IPAC).
Reacting, Mr. Ifo said that the development “is purely a news item twisted and sensationalized by a section of the media to embarrass the Labour Party”.
He explained further: “A news organisation called for a reaction as regards to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s proposal for opposition political parties to work together to fight against one party system in Nigeria being planned by the APC.
“In my reaction, I said that it was only a proposal and every Nigerian should be interested in making democracy work in Nigeria and that what we have presently is an autocracy.
“There was nowhere in the response that the purported merger between LP and PDP was mentioned.
“The Labour Party has just concluded the 2023 general election episode and a post mortem is yet to hold, therefore the way forward for the party has not been discussed.
“When we do, Nigerians will be properly informed.”
Ifo, therefore, urged Nigerians to disregard such and many other twisted and sensational stories purported to emanate from the Labour Party.
“The party has its official platform used to disseminate its information,” he noted.
