‘Igbos need to unite’ — Daddy Showkey hits Labour Party over factions

Daddy Showkey, the singer, has expressed disappointment at the conflict in the Labour Party (LP).

Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra, was earlier elected as the presidential candidate of the party at a primary election in Delta state organised by a faction led by Julius Abure.

Jude Ezenwafor, a former chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in Anambra state, was however subsequently declared the winner of a presidential primary organised by another faction of the party.

Ezenwafor, a sole aspirant, was elected through affirmation at an exercise held in Abuja on Wednesday.

Prior to Obi’s victory, Calistus Okafor, chairman of the other faction of the party, in a suit filed before a federal high court in Abuja, challenged the legality of the Abure-led faction.

Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, also ordered that the LP and some of its executives be served with a fresh suit challenging the party’s leadership, after which the matter was adjourned till June 30 for further mention.

Reacting to the conflict, Showkey claimed that rival forces were pitting Igbo people against one another.

“Sometimes, when we talk, people feel that we don’t know what we’re saying. I always say that Igbos, you people need to be united this time,” he said in a mixture of Igbo and English.

“Why anytime you have somebody credible, anything involving you people, they use you people against yourselves. This one has come out yet they brought an Igbo man to fight an Igbo man.

“You people have a long way to go. If this man coming out is a correct Igbo man, hé will forget about this. For once, use your head.”

Earlier, Obi had exited the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a few days before the party’s presidential primary to join LP.

It was alleged that some PDP leaders had ganged up to frustrate Obi’s presidential aspiration.

On his exit, Obi said: “It has been a great honour to contribute to nation-building efforts through our party.

“Unfortunately, recent developments within our party make it practically impossible to continue participating and making such constructive contributions.”