From Idu Jude Abuja
Against the backdrop of disunity in the Labour Party ahead of the 2027 general elections, a chieftain of the party and Member Representing Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency, Honourable Barrister Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, has reaffirmed the commitments made by party members and followers nationwide to resolve internal crises as the party prepares for the elections.
Honourable Okey-Joe Onuakalusi made this revelation to The Sun while attending the Labour Party Youths Delegate Conference held in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the lawmaker, the internal crises in the party are akin to family problems, which he described as a natural occurrence in any family.
Barrister Okey-Joe Onuakalusi said, “I don’t see anyone who did not come from a family. And is there any family in which members do not have disputes or disagreements with each other? And if such occurs, does it mean they won’t settle and come together as they used to be? Does it mean your father or your mother ceases to be your mother or father? Whenever there is an agreement, it provides another platform for people to move ahead, and the L.P., as a political party with different people, would experience such challenges. We are moving ahead, and I believe that Nigerians voted for us because they want a change, and in our various areas of law-making, we have made sure that several bills are sponsored and passed to ensure that the people are well represented.”
The lawmaker further noted that stakeholders are making efforts to restore unity within the party, with the party caucus agreeing to consolidate all interests into one. He stated, “Some of us have reached out to our principal to discuss with them, we have also reached out to the party leadership to say, let’s sheath the swords and let all grievances be put in abeyance. That is why the youths are meeting, and when the youths meet and throw the bomb for unity, everyone must listen. Because if anyone fails to move, then the youths force him or her to move. And I believe that with this move, peace has returned to the party.”
Barrister Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, who holds the record for sponsoring over 45 bills on the floor of the National Assembly, noted that he was also the first to sponsor a bill on the provision of community skill acquisition to ensure that Nigerian youths secure their rightful positions in the country.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker acknowledged the challenges of being in the opposition, where decisions on the floor of the National Assembly are often swayed by the majority. He stated, “Yes, looking at the National Assembly, one can say that we are in opposition, and the minority have their say while the majority have their way. But if you take a look at the number of bills sponsored on the floor of the House, the motions, and what we have been able to do in our various constituencies, there is no gain in saying that we have done a bit, but there is still room for improvement—yes, I believe so.”
He, however, called for checks on parliament members by various bodies, such as the media and civil society organisations (CSOs), to remind them of their areas of jurisdiction from time to time.
