The crisis rocking the national leadership of the Labour Party (LP) appears not to have an end as Abia State governor, Mr. Alex Otti, has summoned a meeting of the National Executive Committee of the party.
This is coming against the warning by the embattled national chairman of the party, Mr. Julius Abure, signaling that the crisis in the party has worsened.
The meeting slated for September 4 at the Government House in Umuahia, Abia State, is expected to be attended by some leaders of the party including governorship candidates of the party in the 2023 general elections.
Otti’s proposed NEC, which has been rechristened ‘Stakeholders’ Meeting’ was contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to Otti on Public Communication, Dodoh Okafor.
Otti said the meeting was aimed at building a stronger and better Labour Party.
The gathering will have LP Presidential candidate, Peter Obi; his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed; members of the Julius Aburi-led National Working Committee, senators, and House of Representatives members in attendance.
The circular partly read, “Three representatives of the Nigerian Labour Congress who are members of the National Executive Council of the Party, three representatives of the Trade Union Congress who are members of the National Executive Council of Labour Party, Vice Presidential candidate of the 2023 election will be attending.
“Also invited are Abia deputy governor, all serving and former Senators who are members of the party, all serving and former members of the House of Representatives, serving members of Houses of Assembly of States, five members of the Abure-led National Working Committee viz: National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman, Secretary, Woman Leader and Youth Leader, Gubernatorial candidates of Edo and Ondo states.
“The following former governorship candidates representing the six geo-political zones will attend: Ken Pela (Delta State – South South), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Lagos State – South West), Chijioke Edeoga (Enugu State – South East), Jonathan Asake (Kaduna state – North West), Patrick Dakum (Plateau State – North Central), Keftin Amuga (Gombe State – North East).”
The development comes in the wake of Tuesday’s warning by Abure that Otti should stick to governance and stop meddling in the party affairs by summoning NEC meeting.
The National Chairman of LP, Julius Abure, issued the warning at a press conference held at the LP secretariat in Abuja.
The LP national chairman’s anger stemmed from a recent meeting he had with Otti where the Abia governor stated his intention to convene NEC meeting on August 31 to dissolve the executives at the ward, local government, state, and national levels on the purported ground that their tenures had expired.
