By Jude Michael
The Leader of the Labour Party Caucus of the House of Representatives, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, has said the victory of opposition Labour Party in the United Kingdom signifies that its Nigerian version will triumph in the 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed by the lawmaker and made available to journalists in Awka, July 5, the lawmaker said the election told vivid tales of hope for the opposition, competence and integrity of the electoral umpires in the UK, in a manner that elicited public confidence and trust in the electoral process.
‘Unlike what was witnessed in Nigeria in the last general elections, the process in the UK was free of glitches, as about 40 million voters took part. Polls closed around 10 pm, Thursday and by daybreak, the results were out.
‘There was no judicial ambush, as immediate transition took place to the admiration of all lovers of democracy and free and fair elections,’ he said.
‘If we must practice democracy, we must also love, copy and abide by the transparency and accountability of democratic institutions in nations of the world that allow the rule of law and democratic principles to thrive.
‘In deed, one of the potent lessons of the British elections is the fact that the concept of ‘’snatch it, grab it, and run away with it’’, has no place in modern democratic practice,’Ogene said.
Relating it to how it brought hope to his party for the 2027 elections, Ogene urged the Nigerian Labour Party to draw inspiration from its British counterpart, close ranks, rally the people, and prepare to take the reins of power in 2027.
‘Let us work together to build a better future for our nation, guided by the principles of democracy, transparency, and accountability,’ he said, while congratulating Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party in Britain, for his party’s victory over the outgoing UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and his Conservative Party in what has been described as the most emphatic election victory by any British political party this century.
The U.K.’s opposition Labour Party won a huge parliamentary majority in the country’s general election, unseating the incumbent Conservatives after 14 years in control. While the Labour Party got 412 seats, the incumbent Conservatives got 121.
