The Labour Party (LP), led by Barrister Julius Abure, has firmly rejected the conclusions of a stakeholders meeting convened by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, in Umuahia.
At the end of stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, on Wednesday, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman was appointed as the Chairperson of Labour Party Caretaker Committee.
The new leadership is tasked with resolving the party’s ongoing leadership crisis and was given 90 days to complete its assignment, which includes organizing a convention to elect new leadership at all levels, from the ward to the national stage.
The meeting was hosted by Governor Alex Otti and attended by prominent party officials, including presidential candidate Peter Obi, his running mate Datti Ahmed, Senator Victor Umeh, and Lagos State governorship candidate Rhodes-Vivour.
However, in a statement released on September 4, 2024, Abure and the party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, declared the meeting illegal and unconstitutional.
The party leadership asserts that Governor Otti and the other participants lack the authority, as defined by the Party Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to call any meeting of the Party. They emphasized that an expanded Stakeholders’ meeting is not recognized by the Party’s Constitution.
Referencing Articles 11 and 12 of the Labour Party Constitution, the leadership outlined the four levels of Party Organizations and the Principal Organs that do not include an expanded Stakeholders’ meeting. They condemned the Umuahia meeting as a charade and a waste of time and resources for the people of Abia.
Abure challenged Governor Otti to present an official letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that contests the conduct of the National Convention, emphasizing that government matters should be communicated through official written correspondence, not verbally.
The party also expressed dismay over the fact that the chairman of the caretaker committee appointed by Governor Otti is not a registered member of the Party and only appeared during Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign to support him. Abure asserts that there is no leadership vacuum within the party and that the caretaker committee is not recognized by the Party’s constitution, characterizing it as a division of the Abia State Government House.
The statement was signed by Mr. Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, on behalf of the party leadership.
