Ahead of the Edo governorship election scheduled for September 21, the chances of the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Olumide Akpata, are in jeopardy because of the internal crisis rocking the party. Assistant Editor EMMANUEL BADEJO writes
The Labour Party (LP), the third force in the present democratic dispensation, is contending against a fresh crisis that may tear it apart, no thanks to the disparate camps pulling the party in different directions.
Julius Abure, the National Chairman, is not new to such internal squabbles. A fresh storm is currently brewing; a sour development that may affect the chances of its candidate in the governorship election scheduled for September 21 in Edo State.
The intra-party dispute is already pitting the only governor elected on the LP platform, Dr. Alex Otti of Abia State, and Mr. Peter Obi, the LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, against its national leaders. Pundits said this development was coming at the wrong time. According to stakeholders, this is a period the party’s chieftains are expected to maintain peace and rally behind Akpata, who is one of the candidates to watch in the Edo contest.
Though some polls tipped Akpata, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), as the leading candidate in the contest, stakeholders fear that, if party gladiators do not sheath their swords, the prediction that Akpata may emerge as the winner of the pol, will remain in the realm of fiction.
Other key contenders to watch in the election are candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo and that of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Asue Ighadalo.
While Okpebholo is enjoying massive support on all fronts, Ighadalo, also a strong contender, is drawing energy and courage from the power of incumbency. Unfortunately, the LP candidate is going into the contest with a divided house.
Notwithstanding, pundits have said that irrespective of the issues confronting the party, it may repeat the feat it recorded during the last presidential election, where Obi, a two-term Anambra State governor, scored the highest vote in Edo; he garnered a total of 331,163 votes. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu scored 144,471 to finish second, while the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had 89,585. Rabiu Kwakwanso of the NNPP and his ZLP counterpart had 2,743 and 4082 respectively.
With the massive support of the ‘Obedient Movement’, Obi won 12 local government areas of Igueben, Esan Central, Esan Northeast, Egor, Esan Southeast, Esan West, Uhunmwonde, Orhionmwon, Ovia Southwest, Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha and Ovia Northeast, while the APC won in six local governments of Owan West, Owan East, Akoko-Edo, Etsako Central, Etsako West and Etsako East.
The party also won a senatorial, and two House of Representatives seats. But, it could not show a strong presence in the State House of Assembly election.
Though all politics is local, yet, Akpata’s acceptance by the electorate might have started whittling as there are no signs of resolution of the sharp differences between Otti, his followers, some LP lawmakers and the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC).
Two SWCs in Edo:
The struggle for the leadership of the party has been ongoing, leading to two separate State Working Committees (SWCs) claiming the headship of the LP structure. The two camps are Kelly Ogbaloi, loyal to Akpata and Elizabeth Ativie, loyal to the Abure-led NWC.
Ogbaloi, who was fingered in Abure’s travail, was said to be suspended by the NWC. He, Akpata and their supporters have, however, rejected the purported suspension, saying it did not follow due process of the law.
Political commentators see this as a disadvantage for Akpata’s performance in the election, as the party appears to be going into the election with a divided house.
NWC tenure controversy:
There is controversy over the expiration of the tenure of the NWC. Otti, along with Obi and their followers had indicated interest to organise a stakeholders’ meeting, that will lead to a new convention, a move the party has described to be treachery and an attempt to hijack the leadership of LP.
The Abure faction has opposed the move, urging Otti to focus on governance and stay off party affairs. The disagreement has sparked tension and uncertainty within the party, raising questions about its fortune, future direction and unity.
Sources said that Otti has been actively pushing for a leadership role, to influence the party’s strategic decisions and overall direction. However, his efforts have met resistance from the NWC, which is concerned about the implications of proposed leadership changes.
The NWC’s opposition stems from some key issues. Firstly, there are concerns about the alignment of Otti’s vision with the party’s current agenda. The NWC fears that his leadership might steer the party away from its established goals and strategies.
Secondly, there are internal disagreements about the process through which Otti’s leadership bid is being pursued. The NWC believes that his approach could undermine the party’s internal democratic processes.
This internal strife is coming at a critical time for the LP which is facing significant challenges as it prepares for upcoming elections and seeks to solidify its position in the political landscape. The party’s ability to navigate this internal conflict will be crucial in determining its future success and cohesion.
As the LP grapples with this latest crisis, the focus will be on how the NWC and Otti can resolve their differences. The outcome of this clash could have far-reaching implications for the party’s leadership dynamics and its ability to present a united front to voters.
Obi, Otti stakeholders’ meeting:
Calling the bluff of the NWC, Otti and Obi, have called for an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
In a well-advertised notice, the duo said the party’s extended stakeholders meeting shall be held on Wednesday, September 4, at Banquet Hall, Government House, Umuahia, the Abia State capital. According to the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Alex Otti on Public Communication, Dodoh Okafor, the meeting is aimed at building a “stronger and better Labour Party”.
According to the meeting circular, the stakeholders for the meeting include Obi, Otti, former vice presidential candidate of the party, Datti Baba-Ahmed, Julius Aburi-led executives, Senators and House of Representatives members of the party among others.
It read: “Three representatives of the NLC who are members of the National Executive Council of the Party, 3 representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) who are members of the National Executive Council of Labour Party, Vice Presidential candidate of the 2023 election.
“The Deputy Governor of Abia State, all serving and former Senators who are members of the party, all serving and former members of the House of Representatives who are members of the party, all serving members of Houses of Assembly of States, 5 members of the Abure-led National Working Committee viz: National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman, Secretary, Woman Leader and Youth Leader, governorship candidates of Edo and Ondo states.
“Former governorship candidates representing the six geo-political zones as follows: Mr Ken Pela (Delta State – Southwest), Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Lagos State – South-south), Chijioke Edeoga (Enugu State – Southeast), Mr Jonathan Asake (Kaduna State – Northwest), Mr Patrick Dakum (Plateau State – North Central), Mr Keftin Amuga (Gombe State – Northeast).”
Abure-led NWC reacts:
But in its reaction, the party faulted Otti’s position, saying only the NWC headed by its chairman has the constitutional right to call for a NEC meeting. Speaking at a press briefing, Abure, said, who noted that the meeting was aimed at dissolving the National Executive Council, State Executive Council, Local Government Executive Council and Ward Executive Council on the purported ground that the tenures of the executives have expired.
“The NWC consequently notes that the national leadership states unequivocally that there is no vacuum in the leadership of our party; conscious of the fact that the tenure of the executives was to last till June 2024, the National Convention of the party was held on March 27, 2024, at Nnewi, Anambra State at which the Governor of Abia State was represented by his deputy governor who also doubled as the Chairman of the Convention Committee. It must be noted that most of the government functionaries from Abia State including the deputy governor, commissioners, Chief of Staff and indeed all the LP state assembly members led by the Speaker of the House, senior special assistants and other aides of the governor, were present at that convention,” Abure who read a communique said.
He said the laws of the land, including the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022, the Labour Party Constitution and other laws were adhered to in convening the Nnewi convention.
He said: “Article 14 of the LP Constitution provides that it is only the National Chairman and the National Secretary of the party who can convene the meetings of the NWC, NEC and National Convention or any other national meeting of the party. In the exercise of that power therefore, on the 20th of December, 2023, the National Chairman and the National Secretary issued notices to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the convening of the National Convention of the Party that was scheduled to hold in March 2024.
“It must be noted that Section 82(1) of the 2022 Electoral Act provides as follows: Every registered political party shall give the commission at least 21 days’ notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for ‘merger’ and electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified under this Act.
“It was in fulfilment of this provision that the national chairman and the national secretary of the party issued notice to INEC on 4th of December 2023. When it became apparent for logistics reasons that the convention would be held at the earlier venue, another notice for change of venue was issued to INEC on the 14th of March, 2024.”
The said convention which was held under controversial circumstances had since returned Abure as its chairman. He warned that the national leadership of the party will not hesitate to discipline any member who is not ready to obey the Constitution of the Party and the lawful directive of the leadership of the party.
He also announced that the NWC had set up a 10-man Standing Disciplinary Committee to do the needful. He said: “It is still the responsibility of the National Chairman and the National Secretary of the Party to convene such a meeting. Secondly, it is the responsibility of INEC, to officially communicate to the party in writing as to why it has objection to the conduct of the Convention and to draw the attention of the leadership of the party, to the fact that its tenure has expired.”
NTC’s position:
The LP National Transition Committee (LP-NTC) has warned that the planned membership registration/validation, congresses, and national convention called by the suspended former Acting National Chairman of the party, Mr. Julius Abure, would lead to “political leprosy” and disastrous consequences for the party.
The NTC said: “Anything touched, handled, processed, organized, conducted or contaminated by Mr. Julius Abure and or his assigned minions is political leprosy before the law and will end in disastrous nullity,” the LP-NTC stated in a statement signed by its Chairman, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar. The committee alleged that Abure’s actions are part of a scheme to disintegrate the Labour Party and ensure that it poses no electoral challenge to the ruling political party in the 2027 general elections.
“The goal of the scheme is to ensure maximum anarchy of internal rancours designed to tear and disintegrate the Labour Party to ‘hopeless shreds.”
The LP-NTC noted that Abure’s tenure as National Chairman expired on June 10, 2024. Before the expiration of his tenure, Abure was suspended by the Labour Party in Ward 3, Arue, Uromi in the Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.
It said: “In May 2024, the Edo State executive of the party and their supporters stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Headquarters and were received by top INEC officials, who commended their peaceful nature and pledged to look into their requests as contained in their letter of notification to INEC on Abure’s suspension.
“The letter notifying INEC of his suspension dated May 14, 2024, and another letter of ratification dated May 15, 2024, both of which were ratified at a meeting of the state executive committee on Friday, May 24, 2024, in Benin, stated that the suspension was with immediate effect.”
The LP-NTC also alleged that Abure has struck a deal with a frontline ruling political party to conduct the congresses and national convention, with promises of ministerial and senatorial slots in 2027. It added: “Highly credible intel has revealed that Abure and his Nnewi merchants have struck a self-serving deal with one of the frontline ruling political parties of Nigeria which is bankrolling the Abure-led renegades to conduct ‘Labour Party state congresses and National Convention by any means.”
The LP-NTC called on the Nigerian police and the press to take action against Abure, urging the police to prevent his “Broadway series of daylight crimes” and prosecute him for his alleged offences.
“Democracy dies in the dark,” the LP-NTC quoted the Washington Post’s motto, emphasising the need for the press to expose Abure’s alleged crimes. The NTC urged Nigerians to support its efforts to clean up the party and save Nigeria’s democracy from Abure’s “protracted plague”.
