Aggrieved govs talking to us —Labour Party

The Labour Party National Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, has said some aggrieved governors from other political parties are planning to defect to the LP.

Nwanyanwu, who said the LP had become a beautiful bride among politicians, also confirmed that he had some fruitful discussions with former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel on his plan to join the party.

He spoke with our correspondent in Abuja on Friday.

Nwanyanwu received Daniel and a few of his aides at the LP secretariat in Abuja.

Though Nwanyanwu would not disclose the details of the meeting with Daniel, sources said the plan by the former governor to defect to the party started last December 22 when he held a closed door meeting with the LP boss in Lagos.

Daniel, who ruled Ogun State as a Peoples Democratic Party governor for eight years, promoted the Peoples Party of Nigeria during the 2011 governorship election in the state.

He led the campaign team of the PPN’s governorship candidate, Alhaji Gboyega Isiaka, in the run-off to the election in which the Action Congress of Nigeria candidate, Ibikunle Amosun, won.

Isiaka from Ogun West Senatorial District among other supporters of the former governor have reportedly joined the LP in the state.

At the meeting with Nwanyanwu, Daniel was said to have negotiated the ceding of the governorship ticket of the party to his camp.

But speaking with our correspondent, the LP chairman said his party remained the only progressive political party in the country.

He said, “In our party, we provide a level-playing field for everybody. We will always be transparent in what we do.

“When Governor Olusegun Mimiko was going to run for a second term, we did not impose him on the electorate. He went through primary to become our candidate.

“In the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State, we will not impose any candidate on the people. All aspirants will go through primary.

“But in some other political parties, their leaders have started endorsing people for elections that are still far away. Yet, these parties claim to be progressive. Is that progressive or imposition? These parties are fake progressives.

“I can tell you that we have so many people, including governors who are talking to us and our doors are open to them.”

Meanwhile, no fewer than 500 PDP members in Ijero Local Government of Ekiti State have defected to the ACN.

The state Deputy Governor, Modupe Adelabu, who alongside other ACN leaders received the defectors in Ijero on Saturday, assured them of equal rights and privileges in the party.

She noted particularly that the defectors were attracted to the ACN because of the good work of the Governor Kayode Fayemi administration in the state.

Adelabu, who urged older members of the party to receive the new members with love, noted that treating them, as outsiders would be detrimental to the image of the party.