The Labour Party’s leadership has warned Governor Alex Otti of Abia State to focus on governance and refrain from interfering in the party’s administration.
The factional National Chairman of the party Julius Abure issued this warning at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
Abure expressed frustration, stating, “It is bad enough for the party to endure criticisms and persecution from those seeking to tear the party apart, than to watch its own chieftains, members, and stakeholders toe the same path.”
The warning comes after a meeting between Abure and Otti, where the governor announced plans to convene a National Executive Meeting on August 31 to dissolve the party’s executive councils. Abure rejected this move, saying it was not Otti’s responsibility to make such decisions.
Abure stated, “The National Working Committee also notes that assuming, without conceding, that the tenure of the current NWC has even expired, we must state clearly that it is not the responsibility of Dr. Alex Otti as the Governor of Abia State to convene a NEC meeting for the purpose of setting up a caretaker committee. It is still the responsibility of the national chairman and the national secretary of the party to convene such a meeting.”
He added, “We want to appeal to our colleagues to concentrate on governance and allow us to handle party affairs. Consequently, the national leadership states clearly that it will not hesitate to discipline any member who is not ready to obey the party constitution and indeed, obey the lawful directive of the leadership.”
Abure emphasized, “The national leadership hereby states unequivocally that there is no vacuum in the leadership of our party. The Labour Party is different from other political parties in the sense that it is not a party that is controlled by one man, woman, or leader; neither is it a party that can be put in the pocket of one person. It is a party for the generality of the people.”
He also addressed Otti’s claim that the Independent National Electoral Commission had stated that the current executives’ tenures had expired, saying, “Therefore, for any person(s), group, or agency to speculate that the tenures of the current executives have expired, is not only mischievous but a deliberate attempt to put the party in comatose.”
Abure concluded, “INEC is expected not to descend into the arena of conflict but to continue with its neutrality and work cordially with the recognized leadership of the Party until the courts state otherwise.”
