Former Labour Party (LP) chieftain and 2021 Anambra governorship candidate, Valentine Ozigbo, has called on Nigerian youth to align with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it remains the most viable political platform in the country.
Ozigbo, who defected to the APC in February, made the appeal during a recent interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
A former close ally of LP’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, he declared that joining the APC is a strategic move for any forward-looking politician.
“I call on the youth of Nigeria: let’s join the APC,” Ozigbo said. “I don’t see any traction in the coalition of political parties we are seeing today, so for any politician, the only option is to join the APC.”
He further disclosed that he had informed all key stakeholders in the LP—including Obi—before making his exit.
“I told him a few things, not about coming to the APC, but I would like to welcome him to the APC someday if he so desires,” he revealed.
Ozigbo explained that his decision was carefully considered and that he had been transparent throughout the process.
“But here’s the point: I engaged with everybody I needed to engage as much as I could remember to say to them, here are the options.
“I had a meeting with Peter Obi. I said to him, ‘I don’t see myself running for this election in the Labour Party, and I want to make a decision soon.’”
He added that after informing Obi of his plans, he paid a farewell visit to the LP before officially switching allegiance.
“The day I mentioned to him I was leaving the Labour Party, the next day, I moved to the APC because I had to go and visit the Labour Party and say goodbye to them.
“And I told them to their face, ‘You hear the things that have happened. I am not proud of them. Even when we had a congress in Anambra State, it was a charade—totally flawed.’”
