Fifteen (15) political parties deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, under the aegis of Coalition for Good Governance, on Friday declared support for the presidential ambition of the candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi.

This is even as a Peoples Democratic Party stalwart in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi, on Friday, defected to the Labour Party, declaring support for its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

The 15 deregistered political parties said only Obi out of the candidates contesting for the 2023 Presidency can stop Nigeria from disintegrating.

Gbadamosi, a former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party and a former Lagos East Senatorial Candidate of the PDP, in a statement said;

“I had completely lost hope, especially in the youths of Nigeria, considering how the senatorial bye-elections panned out, after the traumatic events of the #EndSARS.

“However, the exit of Peter Obi from the PDP and his subsequent emergence as the Presidential candidate of the LP, and his brilliant choice of Mallam Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as running mate have rekindled my hope.

“I am 54 years old, and never in my life have I been privileged to witness the kind of energy, vim, vigor, unity and tenacity of purpose being exhibited by youths of all ethnicities and religious backgrounds in Nigeria over a political candidate..

“I hereby publicly declare my resignation from the PDP and wish all the remaining members well.

“By the same token, I also hereby publicly declare my support for the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi,” Gbadamosi said.

He recounted how he joined the PDP in Ikorodu in 2008 and remained a loyal member of the party, contributing whatever he could to the growth and development of the party in Lagos state and throughout Nigeria, until he took early retirement from partisan politics in 2017.

“I came to recognise that the problems of PDP run quite deep, and their tepid opposition is in fact by the design of some individuals populating the party leadership from top to bottom,” he said.

He said that he was motivated that almost all youths, who were not professional politicians or influencers-for-hire, had been popularising Obi’s presidential ambition.

He said that Obi had over the years, shown himself to be a creative, prudent and frugal administrator as well as a trustworthy custodian of public funds.

Gbadamosi also described the LP vice presidential candidate, as urbane, prudent, practical and principled politician.

He said: “These two share a passion for education and knowledge, with Obi’s documented exploits in the education sector as governor of Anambra and Baba-Ahmed’s direct investment in education as Pro-Chancellor of the highly respected Baze University, Abuja.

“Both share a disdain for graft and believe in exterminating contract padding.

“I find myself left with no choice, when faced with the alternatives, but to publicly throw in my lot with these two fine gentlemen, especially considering that another good Uncle of mine, Dr Doyin Okupe is one of the navigators of their journey and had invited me very much earlier.”

Also, the CGG in a statement by its national chairman, Okey Chikwendu, and Publicity Secretary, Don Anthony Harmattan, said the deregistered parties took the decision after carefully studying each presidential candidates to know the most reliable and credible among them.

Recall that INEC had in 2020 deregistered 74 political parties on the ground that they failed to meet constitutional requirements that determine the continuous existence of political parties in the country, leaving 18 which passed its test.

But the deregistered parties said they still have their structures in place, adding that they would all support and work for the success of the former governor of Anambra State.

The statement reads: “We have earlier stated that the outcome of the political parties’ primaries for the presidential ticket and selection of the vice presidential tickets will determine which party we, the Coalition for Good Governance comprising of 15 deregistered political parties and some former presidential candidates would endorse and support for the 2023 presidential election.

“The choice is based on identifying the ticket with the most credible candidates who are tested, trusted, and exhibit sufficient intellectual capacity to salvage our nation from the wreck we find ourselves and meet the yearnings of the Nigerian people which is equitable, fair and just irrespective of tribe or ethnicity.

“In furtherance to the above, the CGG on July 28 held a meeting in Abuja well attended by the National Party Chairmen and former presidential candidates of deregistered political parties whereby they took a very critical appraisal of all the current presidential contenders for the 2023 presidential elections and their Vice, the house unanimously voted Peter Obi/Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as the most credible among the candidates and as such resolved to support and work with them and their campaign group on the platform of Labour party.

“We, therefore, agreed to rebrand our offices nationwide as Campaign support offices for the project. Our structures all over the 36 States and 774 Local Government Areas are henceforth required to support the Obi ticket.

“Nigerians have had enough of the disunity, eminent disintegration, lingering ASUU strike, terrorist threats, killings, kidnappings, hunger, unemployment, unbearable petrol cost and scarcity, high electricity tariffs, its epileptic situation, rising food cost etc and the continued lack of resolve by the establishment to put an end to these crises.

“We as leaders in main stream politics in Nigeria wish to make clear that only an efficient, effective and credible candidate of renowned character can resolve most of Nigeria’s lingering problems and we therefore urge Nigerians to heed to our advice and support our goals of returning Nigeria as the true giant of Africa and the production hub of West Africa.”