LP slams Ozigbo, calls defection political opportunism

The Labour Party has launched a scathing attack on Val Ozigbo, accusing the former Anambra governorship candidate of political desperation and betrayal following his exit from the party.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party dismissed Ozigbo’s recent criticisms, describing him as a serial defector who seeks political platforms only to abandon them when personal ambitions are not met.

“Ozigbo contested the 2021 Anambra governorship election under the PDP [Peoples Democratic Party] and lost. He later joined the Labour Party, not out of loyalty, but to ride on the wave of our presidential candidate’s popularity. Now, he is turning against the very party that gave him relevance,” the statement read.

The party alleged that Ozigbo had no real impact on the Labour Party’s success, noting that he failed to even secure victory in his own polling unit during the 2023 elections.

It also claimed that his aspirations to contest the upcoming Anambra governorship election under the Labour Party were rejected by grassroots members who saw through his lack of commitment.

“Ozigbo thought his close ties to our presidential candidate would automatically earn him the ticket, but our members at the ward and state levels saw his true colors. He was rejected at the state congress, and that humiliation led to his rebellion against the party,” Ifoh stated.

The Labour Party further dismissed Ozigbo’s claims that he left due to internal crises, insisting that he had been politically sidelined since July 2024.

The party accused him of seeking out parties where he could bargain for personal benefits rather than serve the people.

“No serious party will allow itself to be used as a mere vehicle for desperate politicians who abandon ship when things don’t go their way,” the statement read.

While wishing him well, the Labour Party warned Ozigbo against undermining the party that once offered him a platform, stressing that politics should be about service and competition, not entitlement.