By, Sebastine Chukwuebuka Okafor Bookastro (opinion)
The last few weeks have seen a lot of political drama unfolding in Enugu State, especially within political parties with zero chances of electoral victory. First, there was the rumored defection of Chijioke Edeoga. Then came the alleged defection of some Labour Party National Assembly members to the APC, though they are feigning ignorance of the announcement. The most shameful of all was the failed attempt to remove the state’s Labour Party chairman, Barr. Casmir Agbo, which would have been a political coup d’état if it had succeeded. The truth is that Enugu’s Labour Party is fragmented into different political interest groups, including the Prof. Barth Nnaji group, the former APC group, the anti-ex-Governor Ugwuanyi group, the Obidients, and the original Labour Party group. These groups all joined the Labour Party due to selfish interests, riding on Peter Obi’s name and popularity to form political Galadimas. This infantile attitude is what has led the party to its current chaotic state in Enugu.
Among these factions, the worst are those who defected from the APC to join the party. These individuals are so accustomed to failure that they embark on political decisions without proper calculation. This was evident when they attempted a similar move against Ben Nwoye during his tenure as APC state chairman and failed woefully. They have now repeated the same mistake with Barr. Casmir Agbo and have, once again, failed. The reality is that they and their likes lack a clear understanding of the Labour Party constitution they claim to uphold. I was there when Barr. Casmir Agbo was made the state chairman, and I witnessed how he donated his personal office to the party before embarking on a membership drive. This was before Peter Obi’s defection to the party, which skyrocketed its popularity. Even Peter Obi, Governor Alex Otti, and other notable figures who elevated the party’s status tried unsuccessfully to remove Julius Abure. How, then, do people who don’t even possess the party’s constitution believe they could achieve such a feat in Enugu? Many of these individuals don’t even know how party office rents are paid or how they became executive members, as they were never elected through any proper congress.
If I were Barr. Casmir Agbo, I would teach them a political lesson and ensure that every one of them is removed because, constitutionally, they were never legitimate executive members of the party. This is the time for those loyal to Barr. Agbo to make a significant political move. It is also the perfect opportunity for Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s political strategists to take advantage of this internal crisis and push the APC further down to the sixth position among political parties in Enugu State.
Labour Party’s internal conflicts in Enugu mirror the broader dysfunction that often plagues opposition politics in Nigeria. Instead of building a solid ideological foundation, these factions engage in endless infighting, undermining their own credibility and weakening their electoral prospects. The inability to resolve these issues internally has only made it easier for the ruling party to maintain dominance in the state.
For Enugu’s Labour Party to regain its footing, it must embark on a serious reorganization that prioritizes loyalty, structure, and a clear ideological direction. The party must cleanse itself of opportunists who lack political foresight and are only interested in personal gains. Failure to do so will only result in continued fragmentation, rendering the party irrelevant in future elections. However, it is time to cashout as Governor Mbah has from his recent moves, shown that he is ready to play politics.
