By EricJames Ochigbo
The Labour Party presidential candidate, Dr Chibuzor Okereke, has promised to run an inclusive government driven by reforms, innovation, if elected in the 2027 presidential election.
Okereke who made the pledge while featuring on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series in Abuja on Sunday, urged citizens to believe in Nigeria again.
He said that Labour Party had overcome all its internal crisis and was ready to pursue its mantra: “Nigerians First, Believe Again.”
If elected president, Okereke pledged to strengthen all the critical sectors for a more result-driven government.
He explained that his choice of a female vice presidential running mate in the person of Hajia Bintu Konto, was a pointer to an inclusive government.
“The message is simple. This is a Nigerian first project; Believe again. Our plan is to change the mindset of young people whose key plan is how to travel abroad. We will make them believe again in the Nigerian project.
“Whether you are in the military or in the police, you are at the forefront of the war fighting, the country will care for you; that is the Nigeria we envision.
“You are a woman who feels under-represented; a youth who feels social injustice and high inequality; a pensioner who feels abandoned after serving or a normal person working hard who wants to just get ahead, I ask you to believe again in the Nigerian project.
“This is because we are going to run a government that will collapse ethnic considerations and geo-political expression, and focus on optimising the capacity of the Nigerian people for merit-based opportunities,” he said.
Okereke told NAN that should he emerge president, he would not only be the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, but Commander-in-Chief of reforms, innovation and building a just society.
According to him, Labour Party is the only party that is not focused on power and control of resources, but on the desire to focus on delivering the demands of Chapter 2 of Nigerian Constitution.
Okereke said that there would be devolution of powers to states and local governments for effective delivery of dividends of democracy to all Nigerians.
He said that institutions such as Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), among others, would be strengthened and transferred to local authorities.
The presidential candidate also said that all agric institutions in Abuja would be relocated to their areas of comparative advantage, while some would be domiciled in universities for necessary research.
He condemned the present arrangement whereby some federal government establishments would be involved in executing projects in remote communities from Abuja, a template which he said had never worked.
“We will introduce an integrated governance system that involves local governments, state governments, federal government, private sector and NGOs,” he said.
Okereke further stated that to effectively deliver services to Nigerians, there was the need to clear all unverified assumptions via proper research and data collation.
One of Nigeria’s biggest challenges, according to him, are unverified assumptions, such as citing the example of 18 million out-of-school children which, he said, lacked empirical basis.
“We are already conducting empirical studies that are multi-layered and multi-faceted; when we talk about poverty, we are not talking about a concept, we are talking about reality; something that affects the human people.
“So we are going to be big on human capital development, education; we are going to be big on health and we are going to be big on agriculture, establishing agro parks in reality; that is why I talk about reforms” he said.
On possible coalition or merger with other political parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Okereke said that Labour Party would not go into such an arrangement.
He, however, said that if there’s going to be such an arrangement, it would be in the best interest of other opposition parties to join forces with his party to take over power from the ruling APC.
The presidential candidate recalled that he had supported candidates in some of the major opposition parties in the past and it was now time for them to support him in return.
“Labour Party should not be considered as a party to be invited by someone for merger or coalition ahead of 2027.
“If there would be any invitation, I should be the one giving people invitations to work with me to ensure that I become the next president.
“Some of the candidates in African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) we have worked together and I supported them in the past, and it is time for them to come and join hands and support me now.
“I have led advocacy in this country; I have pushed for a lot of reforms. I have been championing democratic rights of many as a governance expert.
“It is in their own best interest to support my candidacy because I have fresh and bright ideas,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Francis Onyeukwu/’Wale Sadeeq