2023, Edo PDP, LP chair, Kelly Ogbaloi ,
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, chairman of Labour Party in Edo, Kelly Ogbaloi tells Jethro Ibileke that the ruling PDP is dead and drowning in the state
Labour Party appears to be the new bride in Nigeria, but, how is it doing in Edo state?
Labour Party is the bride everywhere in the country, including Edo state. It could not be the bride everywhere and Edo state becomes isolated, it is also the bride among the parties in Edo state.
Is Labour Party truly on ground in the 18 local government areas of the state?
Absolutely! We cannot seriously approach elections in February and still do not have the facilities to be able to take us into the elections in February 2023. So, absolutely, all the structures are available.
One of your ward offices in Benin, the state capital was recently attacked and taken over by hoodlums. Why do you think they do that?
That happened actually and I’ve spoken on that serially in the media. Of course, it’s quite a terrible matter, we are surprised that at this time we are in our lives as politicians and as a state and country, some persons could be so dastardly in there manners and walk into an established office of a party and get it overrunned, just because you think you have the powers that back you up, but it is condemnable.
We have spoken to the law enforcement agencies, we have also asked Godwin Obaseki, the Governor of Edo state to critically assess the decadence in the state, vis-a-vis, the decadence of these persons from the PDP predominantly. We have said that Labour Party will not continue to sit back and watch that happen to it.
However, I think the government must have gotten the language we used in letting them know what happened and by today, they should be ensuring that they put themselves into check.
In your statement on the attack on your office, you indirectly pointed the accusing finger at the PDP. Why?
Yes, PDP predominantly did it, because, they didn’t only overrun the place, but they forcefully evacuated whatever we have there and mounted their flags and those flags read PDP, and so, we didn’t need a with doctor to tell us who they were.
Why would they want to take over your office? Are they jealous or feel threatened by your party?
Absolutely! They are no longer there, they are out already and so they are doing the bidding of a drowning man, and whoever is not careful could be pulled down with it. Today, in and out of the trouble they inflicted on themselves, they are not sure of the elections and they are also not happy about the fact that the people of this country will be taken away from the doldrums they have been kept over the years. That is why they thought that the antics of trying to manipulate, to use thugs to instill fear into the people will be sufficient.
But that is not going to happen because we are solidly on course and Labour Party will not weaver in its resolve to ensure that the people of this country are delivered from the shackles of poverty, sicknesses and death that they inflicted on us without looking back.
Besides the attack on your office, it appears that members of your LP across the country have come under series of attack in recent times. What do you think could be responsible for that?
The antics is that you have to install fear into the party, you have to weaken its resolve and see whether we will chicken out and then give them the leverage of bringing in the same people they have been recycling over the years, that have brought Nigeria to its knees. They do that just because they felt that that is the only way out now, in view of the resolve of everybody in the country to ensure that they no longer are going to come back.
By virtue of its name, Labour Party is supposed to be the party of the commoners, the workers. But how much of civil servants and other workers do you have as your members? Do you think you really have much hold on them?
Historically, Labour Party was fundamentally established for the workers, it is an institutional party created by [Trade Union Congress] TUC and [Nigeria Labour Congress] NLC. So, that itself explains what the situation is. Every down worker in Nigeria is a member of this party and they are working for us.
I want to take you back to June, when our primary [elections] were held in Asaba, Delta state, you’re aware that the president of the NLC was fully represented there in the capacity of a deputy president and they made statement on their resolve to ensure that Labour Party is supported, workers are fully enlisted into it, get their PVCs and vote. The same thing happens to TUC. So, today, of course, in the totality, all the workers are members of Labour Party who are bent to vote out this government that has brought nothing to us.
Can you give us your honest assessment of the chances of Labour Party in Edo?
Very clearly, that is the only party now. As you can see, is anybody talking of APC or PDP? What party is everyone talking about now? It is Labour Party all the way, and nobody is joking about it. All of these explain the acceptability and the winning posture of the party. I can ask you to go and have a rest for the fact that at the end of the day, Labour Party will come victorious with its candidates in 2023 elections.
How prepared is your presidential candidate for the huge task of winning the election and for the office of the president?
He is absolutely prepared. He could not have come out all this way, he could not have left his party and then anybody is thinking he is not prepared. It is because of his preparation, his determination that he can no longer watch the suffering in the society, that is why he abandoned his party and came to us to say it is possible to work through this party and ensure that the yearnings and aspirations of the people achieved at the end of the day.