•Peter Obi and Alex Otti
The leadership crisis within the Labour Party has taken a dramatic turn as details of a letter sent by Peter Obi and Alex Otti to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have emerged.
The letter, dated September 6, 2024, requested INEC’s recognition of a 29-member interim committee, headed by Senator Esther Nnenadi Usman, to oversee party operations temporarily, reports Nigerian Tribune.
“You will recall that Labour Party had had a leadership crisis in recent times culminating in the de-recognition of the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) by INEC effective June 2024. This is sequel to the settlement brokered by INEC on June 27, 2022.”
The letter said the settlement was founded on the consent court judgement by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on March 20, 2018.
“A major part of the settlement states that an all-inclusive national convention, preceded by ward, local government and state congresses shall be convened not later than one year after signing the terms of settlement,” the letter said.
Obi and Otti stated in the letter, “By March 2024, the Abure-led NWC organised a convention at Nnewi without first organising ward, local government and state congresses. This fell short of the standards and the spirit of the terms of settlement as stated above. In the light of all these, a leadership vacuum arose in the party. In like manner, the National Executive Committee membership got depleted leaving less than 10 members standing.”
The letter explained, “Given the above scenario, the statutory executives of the party made up of the governor, deputy governor, and legislators, in addition to all surviving members of NEC, the leadership of organised labour, representatives of governorship candidates in the 2023 election and subsequent ones, presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2023 election and other party leaders, met in Umuahia, Abia State, on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 and set up a caretaker committee to organise congresses and the national convention within a period not exceeding 180 days to fill the vacuum created by the expiration of the tenure of the erstwhile leadership of the party at all levels.”
The letter also listed other members of the committee representing critical stakeholders of the party.
They included representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, and Comrade Chris Uyot.
According to the letter, the senate is being represented by Senators Victor Umeh, Neda Imasuen, and Ireti Kingibe, while the House of Representatives is represented by Hon. Afam Ogene, Hon. Seyi Sowunmi, Hon. Sunday Umeha, Hon. Donatus Matthew, and Hon. Esosa Iyawe.
The former governorship candidates of the party were represented by Ken Pela (Delta), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Lagos), Jonathan Asake (Kaduna), and Edward Pwajok (Plateau).
The members of the state Houses of Assembly in the caretaker committee included Hon. Edosa Richard, Hon. Harrison Oghara, Hon. Augustine Okezie, and Hon. Clinton Amadi.
Representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the committee were Mohammed Misau, Austin Jonah, and Sansa Omalara.
According to the letter, the other members of the caretaker committee are Edwin Bafte Sajo, Nike Oshola, Aishat Madijiem, Ugoeze Caroline Onwubiko, and Dominic Essien.
However, Julius Abure-led Labour Party, has rejected the committee, labeling it “illegal” and “unconstitutional”.
Abure challenged Otti to provide official communication from INEC supporting his claims of a leadership vacuum within the party.
