Yenagoa—The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has been described as a personality with some uncommon and positive virtues that are expected of a leader, and if given the opportunity, might turn the fortunes of the country around.
The Political Adviser to the Bayelsa Governor, Senator Douye Diri, High Chief Collins Cocodia, made this comment during a radio participatory program, “Talk to Bayelsa”, on Glory FM 97.1, on Wednesday in Yenagoa.
According to him, one variable that will scuttle his ambition at the moment is being the flagbearer of a party with no structure and no seasoned politicians, just youths that might still not place their thumb for him when the chips are down.
He said since the first republic, smaller political parties have not been able to win at the polls due to their lack of a structural base, that would help secure votes at the various polling units across the country, and unfortunately, the former Anambra State Governor is about to suffer the same fate ahead of the 2023 elections.
A statement by his media aide, Mr. Patrick Ndubuisi, quoted him as saying,
“First you need to have active persons support you, it’s not about having youths hyping you on social media, no. It’s not about saying the youths have discovered one person and as such, they will succeed, no.
“One party is saying they don’t give shi-shi, let’s wait and see during political campaigns if all music instruments and spaces they will use will be free if the vehicles people will go to the campaign grounds and boats will come free, and all the items and logistics that will be used, including posters, banners, and billboards for campaigns will be free, so let’s stop deceiving ourselves.
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“The political dynamics are so huge that it’s only when you are deep there you will be able to understand some of the things that make these big parties the way they are.”
Cocodia was of the view that while the Labour Party Presidential candidate remains one of the best candidates with a laudable vision, however, he can single-handedly carry out his vision, as he needs his likes to work with him since a tree cannot make a forest.
“Peter Obi is a reasonable and honest person he is one man that if he succeeds will be able to save so much money for the government, but how many of Peter Obi can we have in his government?
“Peter Obi will not be the Minister of Finance, he cannot be the Minister of Budget, he will not be the Minister of Works, and there are things Peter Obi, being President will not see that are happening directly under his nose, because we have only one Mr. Peter Obi as the only one man who wants to effect that change”.
As regards the followership of the former Anambra State Governor, the Political Adviser stressed that it’s strictly in the urban areas, as down in the various communities across the country, he is barely known, as well as the absence of political leaders soliciting support for him.
“Let’s come back to the Bayelsa situation, how many of the 105 wards that we have has up to one percent of labour party chieftain?
“He cannot succeed anywhere. I took my time to talk to every person across the state and the result is the same. Rather, the SDP that has become an issue in Bayelsa is giving me more worries than Labour Party.
“For instance, in my ward, show me one labour party man. His followers so far are city-based. Go to the wards and the localities, people don’t even know who Peter Obi is.
“If we are to have a healthy competitive election, the signs will be there by now, but I can tell you that it’s not there. You will see the major margin between the first, second and third, then you will know that this labour party thing is just child’s play.
“Like in Bayelsa, how many candidates do they have in the House of Assembly, how many in the Representatives, how many in the Senate, and how many of those persons are known persons politically? These are the things that translate into votes”.
He averred that the political narrative in the country hasn’t changed and so it will be difficult for the Labour Party to emerge.
