Dons Eze
PETER OBI HAS BETRAYED US, SAYS ABURE… NOBODY REMOVED YOU, IT’S THE CONSTITUTION THAT DID – OBI REPLIES
The faction of the Labour Party (LP) led by Julius Abure says Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the party in 2023, and Alex Otti, governor of Abia state, have betrayed it.
The faction is miffed at both men because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refused to recognise Abure as LP national chair.
INEC’s position was contained in a counter affidavit filed in the Abuja federal high court.
The counter affidavit was in response to a suit filed by the Abure-led LP faction which is challenging its exclusion from uploading the names of its party agents on the INEC website for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
The electoral commission said Abure’s tenure as national chair of the opposition party expired in June 2024.
In reaction to the development on Wednesday, Obiora Ifoh, spokesperson of the faction, said some of the people who want Abure out did not have money to purchase nomination forms in the build-up to the 2023 election.
“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,” Ifoh said in a statement.
“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.
“The leadership of the Labour Party is however miffed by the actions of our leaders including our former presidential candidate Peter Obi and the only Labour Party governor, Dr. Alex Otti who should be defending the party at this auspicious and trying moment.
“They ought to know that the Labour Party is going through these challenging times simply because of its role in defending both leaders during the 2023 general election.
“For the benefit of hindsight, not a few Nigerians will forget how the Labour Party reduced its guards in accommodating some of these leaders when they were denied tickets in their former political parties.
“Today, these leaders are now dancing ‘Gwo gwo gwo ngwo’ with us. What a shame, what a betrayal.”
Nenadi Usman, a former senator, has since been appointed as national chair of the LP caretaker committee, following a party stakeholders meeting called by Otti recently.
Obi, and Datti Baba-Ahmed, LP vice-presidential candidate in 2023, were among the top party members that attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi has urged members of the party’s recently dissolved National Working Committee (NWC), led by Julius Abure, to put aside their differences and collaborate with the National Caretaker Committee to rebuild the party.
Obi made this appeal through Datti Baba-Ahmed during the inaugural meeting of the caretaker committee held in Abuja on Tuesday night. He emphasized the importance of unity within the party as it navigates its restructuring phase.
The former governor categorically stated that it was the party’s constitution that led to the unseating of Abure following the expiration of his tenure, reaffirming the legitimacy of the caretaker committee’s formation.
Obi’s call for reconciliation comes at a critical time for the Labour Party as it seeks to strengthen its foundations and prepare for future electoral challenges.
Obi said, “Listen, my friend, no governor unseated Abure; the constitution unseated him. Abure’s time elapsed. Nobody unseated him. As of today, Abure is our good friend and a loyal member. We want him back in the fold; we have roles for him to play.
“We didn’t have crisis. We managed a transition that was a bit bumpy and that was it. I tell you, no other political party of our size could do that in the time and manner that we did.
“We are a political party who went all the way to the Supreme Court claiming our 10 million votes. They were only able to give us six million votes. So we are a force to contend with in Africa. What we’ve done has never been done before. When PDP came, they had the military. We had nothing.”
Obi noted that the opposition party was ready to repeat and surpass the feat recorded during the 2023 elections in 2027 by producing a majority in the National Assembly and winning the presidential seat in 2027.
Earlier, the chairman of the Labour Party National Caretaker Committee, Senator Nenadi Usman, assured party members of the committee’s determination to rescue the party from the current challenges and restore and rebuild it as a veritable alternative platform for Nigerians.
She assured the committee’s readiness to lead the party on the path of reconciliation within the short time of its assignment.
Usman stated, “We are on a rescue mission, not just for the Labour Party, but I tell you for our dear nation, Nigeria. The interest this committee has generated extends beyond party lines.
