•Nenadi Usman
Labour Party (LP) has made a passionate appeal to opposition politicians across the country to set aside personal ambition, greed and internal rivalries, and unite to offer Nigerians a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Global Award and Dinner in Abuja on Monday, LP’s Acting National Chairman, Nenadi Usman, said while the APC had undoubtedly deployed state power to sabotage opposition voices, the greater threat was within – in the ego, division and self-interest plaguing the opposition camp, reports The Guardian.
Represented by her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, the acting chairman warned that no ruling party could successfully suppress a united, visionary opposition driven by patriotism and shared purpose.
“Let me be brutally honest: while APC’s interference is real, it is not the only enemy. The opposition has too often been complicit in its own downfall. Personal ambition, internal betrayal and the lust for quick power have made us vulnerable.
“No amount of sabotage from outside can break us if we are not already breaking from within. It is time to stop acting like victims and start behaving like visionaries,” he said.
According to the LP leader, Nigerians are not looking for another party that will replicate the failures of the APC, but a coalition of leaders ready to put the nation first, even at personal cost.
“It does this country no good to have a political system where one party dominates unchecked. Democracy cannot survive without a strong, united opposition that offers more than noise – one that offers hope,” she said.
Usman added that “when our leaders put Nigeria above ego, ambition and political games, no ruling party can defeat that.”
She called on all opposition parties – from the PDP to ADC and others – to rally round shared values, policy ideas and the desire to offer practical solutions to the challenges of insecurity, inflation, unemployment and inequality.
“Our task is not just to criticise. Our task is to inspire. We must come armed with real solutions and speak not just to the frustrations of Nigerians, but to their hopes,” she said.
Citing countries where opposition coalitions rescued fragile democracies, she warned that Nigeria risks becoming a one-party state unless the opposition wakes up to its historic responsibility.
“Even the APC should be wise enough to know that democracy does not die with a bang but with the silence of dissent. The legitimacy of the entire system collapses when there are no real alternatives left,” she added.
Drawing inspiration from global statesmen, Usman quoted Nelson Mandela: “A strong democracy needs a strong opposition – because only through scrutiny, criticism, and open debate can a government serve its people well.”
She also echoed former U.S. President Barack Obama’s words: “The role of an opposition party is not simply to oppose, but to hold the government accountable, to challenge ideas, and to propose better ones.
“Not just slogans, but substance. Not just ambition, but action.”
