The Labour Party has accused Peter Obi, along with Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti and others, of attempting to gain control of the party’s leadership through underhanded tactics, utilising the Independent National Electoral Commission as a platform for their efforts.
This was contained in a statement released by Abure-led, National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh.
He said, “We the leadership of the Labour Party wish to bring to your notice the recent development in the party, particularly, the efforts by some of the leaders of the party including the former presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi and the Abia state governor, Dr. Alex Otti amongst others to annex power of the leadership of the party through subterranean means using the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as their launching pad.
“In the last few days, the media has been awashed with INEC’s counter affidavit to the effect that the tenure of the current executives has expired which was supposed to be a justification for the inglorious, purported Umuahia stakeholders meeting where a caretaker committee was produced.
“You will recall that His Excellencies, Peter Obi and Alex Otti a few weeks ago convened an illegal stakeholders meeting in Umuahia where they handpicked some of their cronies, a 29-member caretaker committee in the most undemocratic fashion as leaders of their faction of the party. They subsequently wrote a letter to the INEC on September 6, 2024, informing the commission of the purported and non existent leadership crisis in the party.
“They hinged their decision on the fact that INEC informed them that the present National Working Committee of the party no longer have a valid tenure after June, 2024 and because INEC also did not monitor the Nnewi Convention of the party held on the 26th March, 2024, the commission has ceased from transacting business with the party.
“As you are aware, the party has since sued INEC challenging its exclusion from the commission’s refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections. However, INEC had in a counter-affidavit, filed in response to our suit argued that the Labour Party’s leadership, including Julius Abure, is now invalid, stressing that it does not recognise the party’s March 2024 National Convention, which re-elected Abure as chairman.”
