Confusion as Labour Party’s BoT takes over party after Abure’s re-election
..Just as INEC disowns party's convention
The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Labour Party (LP) has announced that it is taking over the running of the party following the expiration of the tenure in office of the immediate past National Working Committee (NWC) led by Barrister Julius Abure.
A statement signed and issued on Wednesday night, March 27, 2024 by the BoT, through its chairman, Sylvester Ejiofor, described the national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra state, as a charade.
Ejiofor said the BoT has taken over the affairs of the Labour Party after the expiration of the tenure of the national working committee (NWC) led by Abure.
The statement partly reads: “The decision of the BoT is also in furtherance of the agreement signed between the former National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on 27th June, 2022, which was mediated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
Meanwhile, Peter Obi, the flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 Presidential Election, Governor Alex Otti of Abia state; Senator Victor Umeh and other key figures of the party were absent on Wednesday, March 27, when Abure was re-elected chairman of the opposition party.
In a related development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disowned the Labour Party (LP) National Convention.
The Labour Party had its convention in Nnewi, Anambra state on Wednesday, March 27.The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said that INEC did not monitor the conduct of the LP national convention.
Oyekanmi stated this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday, Oyekanmi, however, declined to state further why it was not monitored. Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, states that political parties shall give INEC at least 21 days’ notice of convention, congress, conference, or meeting.
The LP National Legal Adviser, Kehinde Edun, told newsmen that the party had duly informed INEC about the convention.
“No, it is holding in Anambra. Nnewi, to be precise, is not Umuahia in Abia State again. In fact, Umuahia was not even the first venue we chose. Benin was the first choice before we changed to Umuahia and now Nnewi. “So, we are at liberty to pick any venue of our choice. We only need to inform INEC about the change in venue and time.”
