Dr. Doyin Okupe, former Director-General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation and a former Labour Party (LP) chieftain, has attributed the wave of defections from the party to its failure to establish a lasting political structure after the 2023 elections.
In an interview in Lagos on Sunday, Okupe remarked that elected members and ordinary supporters are leaving the party due to uncertainties about its future. Recently, six LP lawmakers, including Reps Tochukwu Chinedu Okere (Imo), Donatus Matthew (Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Cross River), and Esosa Iyawe (Edo), defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okupe explained, “The Labour Party was one of those common parties that existed mainly for those who could not get tickets in the major parties to come and find expression. That is how we also got there. Our presence in the Labour Party then boosted its fortune. But what was important and which was essentially neglected by the leadership of the Labour Party and the presidential candidate was political structure.”
He noted that LP lawmakers recognize their tenuous positions. “Even if they cannot return, they need to use their opportunity right now to align with one or two of the major parties and become somebody. So, that is why you are seeing all this gale of defections, and it’s not going to stop,” Okupe said.
He further suggested that the popularity of the Obedient Movement in 2023 will not guarantee similar outcomes in 2027. “People want political success tomorrow, but LP is not ready to build and invest in structures, so people will leave,” he added.
Okupe also hinted at the possibility of Peter Obi leaving the party, pointing to his recent meetings with opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar. “The followers in the Labour Party are not blind,” he concluded.
