LAGOS—A member of the National Executive
Committee, NEC, of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Issa Aremu, has expressed
dismay over Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s role in connection with the
disputed Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF.
The election was won by Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State.
He said: “As a member of the NEC of the LP, I am constrained to call
on Governor Mimiko to urgently return to the path of social democracy
which is the proclaimed ideology of the LP and stop his current
unacceptable open patronage of anti-democratic forces within the NGF.
‘’Members of the LP and labour movement (which formed the party) have
been grossly embarrassed with the recent role of Governor Mimiko in the
election of the Forum’s chairman and its eventual denationalisation.
“Social democracy is the official ideology of the LP. It among
others, asserts that the only acceptable constitutional form of
government is representative democracy under the rule of law, the
bedrock of which is one person one vote. It is an open globally
acknowledged democratic fact that Governor Rotimi Amaechi won the NGF
election. Labour Party members are therefore shocked that Governor
Mimiko (who just emerged from a similar free and fair election based on
secret ballot) would be party to an unacceptable disputation of a simple
majority election by 36 governors. LP’s Governor, Governor Mimiko must
urgently refill his democratic account which has suffered huge deficit
by his uncritical association with governors who are no respecter of
electoral outcomes.
NGF is a pan-Nigerian forum. Any attempt to undermine the Forum
through anti-democratic posturing, further disunites the federation at
this critical period of national security challenges.
Labour Party cannot and should not be enlisted on the side of
reactionary personality conflict that unnecessarily atomises the nation.
The LP is expected as a progressive party to constructively encourage
President Goodluck Jonathan to act at all times as a statesman who
should be above partisanship, looking at the bigger picture of the
nation. The President came in through pan-Nigerian mandate, he should
not be pushed to the politics of the margins.
source:VANGUARD
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