Labour Party: “We urge millions of our party members who are offended by Hon Ogah’s interview which has since gone viral to maintain their cool as the lawmaker has regretted his actions and has tendered unreserved apologies to the party.”
By Emma Ogbuehi
The House of Representatives member-elect, Amobi Ogah, who was star-struck after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at Aso Rock has apologized to his party for eulogizing the president.
Ogah, who was elected on the platform of the Labour Party praised Tinubu to high heavens in a video that has gone viral.
But the leadership of the Labour Party on Friday disowned even as they disclosed that the lawmaker-elect has regretted his action and apologized.
Labour Party is in court challenging the victory of Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election and has refused to congratulate him or endorse his presidency
In a statement on Friday, acting national publicity secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, said Ogah’s position on President Tinubu’s leadership is his personal opinion and not that of the party.
After a meeting with Tinubu on the leadership of the 10th National Assembly, Ogah had expressed delight, saying he never knew Tinubu was so intelligent.
“Today is my best day. Today, I’m so happy that I’m an elected member seeing my president talking. In fact, I’ve never known that this man is so intelligent,” he said.
“I never knew that this man is so prepared to serve this country. I saw the love, character, and charisma — the belief that Nigeria can be a better nation. So I’m so glad that the meeting we had today is going to take us a little bit to a more stabilised house. Now, even without talking to us again, we have agreed that we are going towards the government’s decision.”
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But in his statement, the Labour Party spokesman said, “Though as a first time and newly elected lawmaker, the member-elect made the utterance which is clearly within his rights as an individual as enshrined in the laws of the land however, the party has a view quite different from what the honourable member was quoted to have said.
“As an individual, he does not have the mandate to speak for the party and therefore cannot claim to be standing on the platform of the LP to do same, giving views that are diametrically opposed to what LP stands for.
He said, “We as a party insist that the route to His Excellency must be excellent and anything other than that amounts to a mockery of democracy.
“We urge millions of our party members who are offended by Hon Ogah’s interview which has since gone viral to maintain their cool as the lawmaker has regretted his actions and has tendered unreserved apologies to the party.”
