Obi presidential campaign seeks cooperation of Imo LP leaders

The Zonal Coordinators of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council in Imo State have urged the State Working Committee (SWC) of the Labour Party (LP) to cooperate with the council for the success of Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign.

The three zonal coordinators of the Council, Barr Ifeanyi Olumba, Chief George Eguh and Engr Obinna Ibe for Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri zones, in a joint statement on Saturday in Owerri, emphasized that the campaign council was formed to complement the efforts of the party towards achieving its common goal of winning the presidential election. The coordinators clarified while a political party owns a candidate, the candidate owns the campaign council.

The coordinators in the statement titled, “Political Party Versus Campaign Council: Peculiarities and Common Grounds,” emphasized that “Party and campaign council function cooperatively as parallel lines that only meet at the end.”

They noted that the clarification became necessary, following a recent statement by the Imo Chairman of the Labour Party, Dr Ambrose Onyekwere, which disowned the Peter Obi campaign council in the state which was inaugurated by Prof. Pat Utomi.

The coordinators in the statement declared: “Arising from the letter written by the state LP Chairman, Dr Ambrose Onyekwere, on the constitution of Peter Obi campaign council, it became necessary to make some clarifications.

“A political party owns its candidate, while a candidate owns its campaign council in every political setting.

“It is practically wrong for a political party to interfere with the functions of a candidate’s campaign council.”

They  asserted that the Obi campaign council would complement the party in marketing the presidential candidate, and wondered why the party leadership would oppose the formation of the council.

“It must be clearly stated here that the campaign council ceases to exist after the election whichever way the election goes, but the party survives after election and even takes glory of the job done by the party’s campaign council.

“Invariably, the campaign council helps a party to deliver its individual candidates; it is surprising that the party frowns at the existence of the campaign council, whose job is to work for the glory of the party.

“We, therefore, call on the leadership of LP to sheath their sword and fully embrace Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council in all the states of the federation”, they declared.