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….submits Supreme Court CTC to INEC
By Jude Opara, Abuja
The crisis rocking the Labour Party ( LP )took a new twist yesterday when the faction led by the 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi and the governor of Abia state, Dr. Alex Otti held its National Execution Committee (NEC) /Stakeholders meeting and ratified the position of the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Sen. Nenadi Usman as the National Chairman of the party.
The Party also proceeded to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where it submitted the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the April 4 judgement of the Supreme Court on the legal dispute in the party.
In his remarks the National leader of the party, Peter Obi decried the crisis the rocked the party, blaming it on the overzealous ambition of the embattled former chairman, Julius Abure to hang on to power.
He added that he and the governor of Anambra state, Alex Otti had discussed on how best to make it easy for Abure by offering him the position of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), but he declined.
“I consulted at length with Gov. Otti on how best to accommodate Abure, the governor agreed to take the proposal to him, but I was shocked when I started reading the discussions on the pages of newspapers”.
The former governor of Anambra state added that since the apex court has given a ruling on the matter, it’s now time for every well meaning member of the party to join hands with the leadership to rebuild it.
“I like to operate from the position of weakness, so we went to court and I am one who believes in the court process. However, I will not say that anybody won, but it was Labour Party that has won”.
He equally addressed the rumour making the rounds in certain quarters that he may be leaving the Labour Party for the much talked about coalition that is being championed by the likes of the former governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
He added that the party must rebuild ahead of the next general election, adding that nobody would be left out since fairness and justice is the mantra of the party.
“Some have started stating that we are leaving the party. Whatever decision we will take must be a decision of the party and not just that of Peter Obi. Nobody must be excluded, we must ensure fairness and justice.
“We want to go into the next election with the ability to offer Nigerians the platform to win elections from the legislature to the state. No more room for people who were in transit but run to us to contest election. It is better to fail doing the right things instead of doing what is wrong”.
He equally decried the rising cost of living in the country, which he said has turned most of the citizens into beggars.
“We must all speak up. Nigeria is collapsing. The numbers are clear. Everywhere you go people are begging, even in this Transcorp hotel, you will see people well dressed walking up to you to plead that you help them get transport fare. Before, people used to call me; “Peter come over and take a drink on me, but now nobody is doing that anymore, instead it is the same people that are now so hard up that are now begging to survive.
“Let us stand together and ensure that the right things are done, starting from our party. We have a lot of work to do, we must love each other and even those who show us hatred, we must show them love.
“With the power of the CTC, the party after the meeting will proceed to INEC to submit the copy of the ruling to the Commission”.
Earlier in her address, the Chairman of the party, Sen. Nenadi Usman said the party was relieved that the Supreme Court gave judgement that the Abure leadership was over.
According to her, the judgement means that the party can begin the journey to a rebirth, even as she appealed to all members of the party to rally behind her leadership to rebuild the opposition party.
“This judgement means that our party has another opportunity to rebuild, and I want to urge every member of the party to come and let us build our party. A new Labour Party is possible. Some of the things that drive our party is unity and togetherness.
“We are calling on all members of the party whether they’re aggrieved with the ruling or not to come and join hands to rebuild Labour Party. Victory will be a threshold of having a party that will rebuild democracy in Nigeria”.
In his message, Abia state governor, Dr. Alex Otti Gabe a detailed explanation of how he tried to talk Abure out of the crisis that engulfed the party and his seeming acceptance.
He regretted that shortly after, he reneged on the agreement they had. He said that with the CTC of the Supreme Court judgement, it’s no longer in doubt that the tenure of Abure was over.
“We just received the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgement of last Friday. They were clear that only the party members will decide their leadership.
brothers on the other side went to court and got a judgement that sustained them in office. But because we are law abiding, we didn’t go to fight them.
“The Supreme Court which is the highest in the land has given a ruling. Our national chairman has been magnanimous in victory by asking them to come and join hands to rebuild the party.
“I offered him (Abure) the position of the BoT chairman but he refused it. You cannot force yourself on a people who do not want you to lead them.
“Congresses of the party starts from the Ward, local government and state congresses before a national convention. You can’t begin the construction of a three storey building from the roof. The rebuilding of our party starts today”.
He also pledged his unflinching support for the leadership of the party
For Datti Baba-Ahmed, the presidential running mate in the 2023 election, it’s pleasing that the Court can still dispense justice once in a while.
He however argued that justice should not be served occasionally but at all times.
Baba-Ahmed further warned members of the party not to be carried away because the party in the real sense of the word is the only one available for Nigerians to retrieve their country from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) whom he accused of running the country aground.
“Justice should be consistent and not just occasionally. We appreciate the judgement and we hope it will remain.
“There was a party that once boasted of ruling Nigeria for 60 years but now they are fizzling away. Another party used propaganda and religion to hoodwink Nigerians but today they are running the country aground.
“The only available option is Labour Party. In 2023 there was only one party that had what it takes to win an election and it was Labour Party. We won but they stole it. The present government is constitutionally questionable”.
Sen. Victor Umeh moved a motion to ratify the position of Sen. Nenadi Usman based on the decision of the Supreme Court as the authentic leadership of the party and to continue with the congresses before it was truncated last year by the court cases.
The motion was seconded by the Speaker of the Abia state House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa.
In his goodwill message, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajero warned that the party must be careful not to repeat some of the mistakes that led to its failure in 2023.
“Let’s not toe the line of failure again. We must find any loophole that will work against us. The constitutional requirements and party constitution must be followed strictly”, he stated.
