Former national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), says coalition talks between Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) collapsed because both parties wanted the presidential slot.
Speaking on a Channels Television programme monitored by The Cable on Tuesday, Umeh said the talks collapsed on June 15, when it became a “dialogue between a deaf and dumb”.
He said LP is no longer in talks with NNPP on the matter contrary to the recent “media blitz” by the NNPP’s presidential candidate, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso that negotiation is still ongoing.
He said, “We are surprised at the recent media blitz by the members of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to continuously suggest that they were locked in a negotiation with the Labour Party to have a partnership or arrangement where the two parties will work together in 2023.”
“We are surprised to continuously see this. We had this discussion precisely on the 15th of June, more than three weeks ago. What necessitated the meeting was that NNPP and LP working together will give a better opportunity for the presidential election to be won. And the two parties set up two teams.
“Myself, Julius Aboreh, the Labour Party chairman who led our team; Doyin Okupe went to that discussion on behalf of the Labour Party; while NNPP put forward Buba Galadima, Abdullahi Baffa, former executive secretary of TETFUND, and Ladipo Johnson.
“It was a three-man team; we met for long hours, adjourned and we came back. When it became obvious that it had become a dialogue between a deaf and dumb person we called off the negotiation.
“It was on the 15th of June that the whole talks collapsed completely. Labour Party has averted its mind from every other discussion with NNPP.
“But these fellows have continued to give the impression that they are still in talks with Labour Party. We couldn’t agree on the knotty issue of who becomes the presidential candidate. Will it be Peter Obi of LP or Rabiu Kwankwaso?
“What they are saying is not in tune with the reality of things. If Peter Obi, who is being sought after, stepped down to deputise Kwankwaso, it would have been injurious to his reputation.”
