Defunct NCP leaders align with LP, endorse Peter Obi

The de-registered National Conscience Party (NCP) at the weekend had negotiation with the leadership of the Labour Party (LP), after which they endorsed the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for the February 25 presidential election.

National Daily gathered that the NCP leaders were invited to Abuja by the party’s National Chairman, Dr Tanko Yinusa, for the alliance negotiation, after which they endorsed Obi.

A source in the NCP told National Daily that Yinusa had abandoned the legal battle to reverse the de-registration of the NCP by the INEC, and accepted appointment as a spokesperson of Peter Obi  presidential campaign. The national chairman, National Daily also gathered, did not carry the NCP members along at the time he was aligning with the LP after the de-registration. However, the former NCP chairman last weekend invited the party’s leaders from Lagos for a meeting in Abuja.

The NCP National Chairman, Dr Tanko Yinusa, and the National Secretary, VC Odemejemba, in a statement on Monday, assured Obi that the NCP leaders would mobilise party members to boost needed votes for Obi’s victory.

According to Yinusa, Obi “has all it takes to earn the trust and confidence of our party.”

He, therefore, declared: “We will mobilize our members and supporters nationwide to canvass and vote for the labour party candidature because we share their philosophy and manifesto.

“We have studied both the party’s manifesto and the characters of the ex-governor Peter Obi and Datti Baba Ahmed carefully and we believe that the Labour Party’s candidates have what it takes to earn our trust and confidence.

“We have also reviewed deeply the 7 Point Agenda of Peter Obi and Datti Baba Ahmad

1. Securing and uniting Nigeria

1. Production-centred growth for food security and export

1. Effective legal and institutional reforms (rule of law, corruption, and government effectiveness)

1. Leapfrogging Nigeria from oil to the fourth industrial revolution (4IR)

1. Expanding physical infrastructure through market-driven reforms (unleashing growth, enabling entrepreneurship an market-creating innovations)
2. Human capital development that empowers competitiveness.

7. Rebus foreign policy that restores Nigerian strategic relevance.

“With particular reference to page 7 as stated below:

“We are coming to run an entrepreneurial state able to double Nigeria’s GDP in a short time and reduce extreme poverty like China which removed 740m from poverty through a policy that emphasized a social market economy. Our focus is to ensure that wealth is created through sectors that improve the well-being of all Nigerians. Our theory of change is DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP.

“Therefore, we will prioritize economic and social rights under chapter 2 of the constitution and implement these rights through social programs and projects that empower the people and mainstream the poor first in access to critical services. To ensure poverty reduction, based on fast economic growth our governance principles, priority projects and programs that will be anchored on the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs)

“As captured in the 72 pages manifesto tagged it is possible our pact with Nigerians. This is in consonant with the slogan of the NCP of the abolition of poverty and 10 care programs.

“As empowered by the NEC and NCC of the party on this day 22nd January 2023, we hereby adopt and endorse Peter Obi and Datti-Baba Ahmed’s Presidential ticket of the Labour Party for the 2023 general election.

“This adoption/endorsement has been officially communicated to the party even though we have since be working in collaboration with the big tent and Obidient movement to drive the project of Obi/Datti campaign. We urge all members and indeed Nigerians to work together with the Labour Party in achieving this monumental task of rescuing Nigeria, uniting and rebuilding its feature.

“We also thank Chief Edward NKwegu and Chief Nwanbuaze Governorship candidate of Labour party in Ebonyi state for all the support.”

The full statement reads:

PRESS STATEMENT ON ADOPTION AND ENDORSEMENT OF PETER OBI AND DATTI-BABA AHMED BY NCP

The National Conscience party (NCP), one of the foremost political party in Nigeria is pleased to announce its adoption of the labour party’s presidential flag bearer ex-governor Peter Obi and his Vice, Senator Datti Baba Ahmed as its choice for the fourth coming February 25th Presidential election.

Though we are still facing challenges of deregistration by INEC.

We will mobilize our members and supporters nationwide to canvass and vote for the labour party candidature because we share their philosophy and manifesto.

We have studied both the party’s manifesto and the characters of the ex-governor Peter Obi and Datti Baba Ahmed carefully and we believe that the labour party’s candidates have what it takes to earn our trust and confidence.

We have also reviewed deeply the 7 Point Agenda of Peter Obi and Datti Baba Ahmad

1. Securing and uniting Nigeria

1. Production-centred growth for food security and export

1. Effective legal and institutional reforms (rule of law, corruption, and government effectiveness)

1. Leapfrogging Nigeria from oil to the fourth industrial revolution (4IR)

1. Expanding physical infrastructure through market-driven reforms (unleashing growth, enabling entrepreneurship an market-creating innovations)
2. Human capital development that empowers competitiveness.

7. Rebus foreign policy that restores Nigerian strategic relevance.

With particular reference to page 7 as stated below:

We are coming to run an entrepreneurial state able to double Nigeria’s GDP in a short time and reduce extreme poverty like China which removed 740m from poverty through a policy that emphasized a social market economy. Our focus is to ensure that wealth is created through sectors that improve the well-being of all Nigerians. Our theory of change is DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP.

Therefore, we will prioritize economic and social rights under chapter 2 of the constitution and implement these rights through social programs and projects that empower the people and mainstream the poor first in access to critical services. To ensure poverty reduction, based on fast economic growth our governance principles, priority projects and programs that will be anchored on the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs)

As captured in the 72 pages manifesto tagged it is possible our pact with Nigerians. This is in consonant with the slogan of the NCP of the abolition of poverty and 10 care programs.

As empowered by the NEC and NCC of the party on this day 22nd January 2023, we hereby adopt and endorse Peter Obi and Datti-Baba Ahmed’s Presidential ticket of the Labour Party for the 2023 general election.

This adoption/endorsement has been officially communicated to the party even though we have since be working in collaboration with the big tent and Obidient movement to drive the project of Obi/Datti campaign. We urge all members and indeed Nigerians to work together with the Labour Party in achieving this monumental task of rescuing Nigeria, uniting and rebuilding its feature.

We also thank Chief Edward NKwegu and Chief Nwanbuaze Governorship candidate of Labour party in Ebonyi state for all the support.

Dr Yuusa Tanko

National Chairman

VC Odemejemba

National Secretary