The Imo Zonal Coordinators, Mr Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council, have urged the State Working Committee (SWC) of the Labour Party (LP) to embrace the council for the success of Obi’s 2023 ambition.
The call is contained in a statement jointly issued by the three zonal coordinators of the council – Barr Ifeanyi Olumba, Chief George Eguh and Engr Obinna Ibe for Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri zones respectively.
The statement, which was made available to journalists in Owerri on Saturday, said the campaign council was formed to complement the efforts of the party towards achieving its common goal of winning the presidential contest.
According the statement while a political party owns a candidate, a campaign council is owned by the candidate.
The statement is titled “Political Party Versus Campaign Council: Peculiarities and Common Grounds.
“Party and campaign council function cooperatively as parallel lines that only meet at the end,” it said.
It said that the clarification became necessary, following a recent statement by the Imo Chairman of LP, Dr Ambrose Onyekwere, which disclaimed Obi’s campaign council in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Onyekwere in the statement disclaimed the existence of the campaign council in Imo which was inaugurated by Prof. Pat Utomi, a chieftain of the party.
It further read: “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 it’s candidate, while a candidate owns it’s 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.”
The statement added that in Imo situation, LP had a big role to market it’s presidential candidate, the three senatorial candidates, the 10 house of representatives candidates and the 27 state assembly candidates.
It said the Obi’s campaign council would only complement the efforts of the party in marketing it’s 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 it’s 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”, it added.