The leadership crisis within the Labour Party (LP) has taken a significant turn with the emergence of details from a recent letter sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by prominent party figures Peter Obi and Alex Otti.
The letter, dated September 6, 2024, requests INEC to recognize a new 29-member interim committee to oversee party operations temporarily.
This move follows a turbulent period for the Labour Party, marked by the de-recognition of the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) by INEC in June 2024.
The de-recognition was a result of a settlement reached by INEC on June 27, 2022, following a court judgment by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on March 20, 2018.
The letter highlighted that a major part of this settlement required the Labour Party to hold an all-inclusive national convention, preceded by ward, local government, and state congresses, within one year of signing the settlement terms.
Obi and Otti’s letter pointed out that the Abure-led NWC organized a convention in Nnewi by March 2024, but failed to conduct the necessary ward, local government, and state congresses beforehand.
“This fell short of the standards and the spirit of the terms of settlement,” the letter stated.
As a result, a leadership vacuum emerged in the party, with the National Executive Committee (NEC) membership significantly depleted, leaving fewer than ten members.
In response to this crisis, the statutory executives of the party, including the governor, deputy governor, legislators, and other key party members, convened in Umuahia, Abia State, on September 4, 2024.
They established a caretaker committee tasked with organizing congresses and a national convention within 180 days to address the leadership vacuum created by the end of the previous leadership’s tenure.
The interim committee, led by Senator Esther Nnenadi Usman, includes a broad representation of party stakeholders.
The committee comprises representatives from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), such as Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, and Comrade Chris Uyot.
The Senate is 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.
Former governorship candidates in the party are also included, with Ken Pela (Delta), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Lagos), Jonathan Asake (Kaduna), and Edward Pwajok (Plateau).
Members from state Houses of Assembly in the caretaker committee are Hon. Edosa Richard, Hon. Harrison Oghara, Hon. Augustine Okezie, and Hon. Clinton Amadi.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is represented by Mohammed Misau, Austin Jonah, and Sansa Omalara.
Other members of the committee include Edwin Bafte Sajo, Nike Oshola, Aishat Madijiem, Ugoeze Caroline Onwubiko, and Dominic Essien.
However, the Julius Abure-led Labour Party has rejected the formation of this interim committee, labeling it “illegal” and “unconstitutional.”
Abure has challenged Otti to provide official communication from INEC that supports the claims of a leadership vacuum within the party.
In a response, Abure emphasized the need for official verification from INEC to substantiate the claims made by Obi and Otti.
The ongoing dispute highlights the deepening crisis within the Labour Party, with significant disagreements over leadership and party operations.
