Government officials have ruined political parties, says Obi

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, says Nigerians must focus on building political parties that are law-abiding and more powerful than governments.

He spoke during the public presentation of two books authored by Ike Abonyi, a veteran journalist.

The books are titled: ‘The Bubbles of Nigeria’s Democracy: The Musings of a Nigerian Journalist’; and ‘Wadata Wonders: Memoirs of a Partisan Journalist’.

The former Anambra governor said Nigeria needs political parties that are structured, organised, and capable of existing beyond individual ambitions.

He added that many public officeholders have contributed to the collapse of political parties by manipulating their internal processes.

“We are working hard to build that new Nigeria where we are going to have political parties that will outlive us, that is organised, that will be bigger than the government,” NAN quoted Obi as saying.

“Because, as it is narrated here, we now have a situation where those of us who are opportune to be in government have helped to ruin the parties.

“Let’s hope that one day, we will have parties that are bigger than government, that will run the way parties are run in other nations of the world and will be law-abiding.”

He commended writers and journalists documenting Nigeria’s political journey and urged more professionals to share their insights with the public.

Since the conclusion of the 2023 general election, the LP and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been embroiled in leadership crises, with litigations filed by certain members deepening internal divisions ahead of the 2027 polls.