The Labour Party (LP) has announced the members of its presidential campaign council for 2023.
The list, which included 1,234 names, was unveiled on Wednesday in Abuja.
Despite the fact that the event was billed as a “Pre-Campaign World Press Conference,” it was mostly attended by supporters of the presidential candidates.
Peter Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, were both absent.
Mr Obi confirmed his attendance at the ICAN 52nd Annual Accountants Conference in a tweet that was later deleted.
Speaking about the team’s composition, LP Secretary Umar Farouk stated that the list includes members of the party from all six geopolitical zones as well as People Living With Disabilities.
Mohammed Zarewa, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), was named chairman, and Doyin Okupe, a former media aide to Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, was officially unveiled as the team’s director general.
Clement Ojukwu and Yunusa Tanko were also appointed as the campaign council’s Secretary and Chief Spokesperson, respectively.
Speaking at the event, Mr Okupe praised Nigerians’ “renewal of love and support for Mr Obi and the LP” in the run-up to the general election.
He slammed President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2023 budget, which he presented to the National Assembly last week.
Although Mr Buhari stated that the N20.5 trillion budget for 2023 would address some of the country’s challenges, Mr Okupe argued that if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) remains in power, people will face even more hardship in the coming years.
“President Buhari has just presented the 2022/23 budget to the National Assembly, and it can be seen in that document that of the total budgeted 20.5 trillion naira, actual revenue available to fund the budget is 9.73 trillion naira, leaving a deficit of nearly 11 trillion naira, with fuel subsidies alone consuming 3.6 trillion naira in the first six months of next year.”
“In effect, this means that the current economic situation, as it affects ordinary people, is unlikely to improve, and I say this not in exaggeration or to instill fear, but in a vivid and responsible assessment of the stark reality,” he said.
