LP: We’ll Take Decision on Choice of Candidates Weekend

*Otti meets party’s senators, members-elect 

*South East caucus adopts Abbas, Kalu 

Udora Orizu  in Abuja

The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, yesterday, said the party would take a decision on the choice of candidates to support for the 10th National Assembly leadership by Friday or Saturday.
This was as the Abia Governor, Alex Otti, met with the National Assembly members-elect of the Labour Party (LP) to take a decision on which candidates to support for the incoming leadership.

At the same time, the Southeast caucus of the 10th House of Representatives, has adopted Hon. Tajudeen Abass and Hon. Benjamin Kalu for Speaker and Deputy Speaker for the 10th House.

Although in his brief opening remarks, Otti said he came from a meeting with President Bola Tinubu and later decided to interact with them as one family.
He enjoined them to work for the people who elected them and ensure that the dividends of democracy was delivered to them.
However, briefing the governor on a series of meetings so far held to decide on who to support amongst the array of candidates jostling for the senate presidency and House of Representatives speakership and their respective deputies, Abure said a decision would be taken by weekend.

“We have been having these engagements for quite some time. So, immediately we were elected, we decided to have constant meetings so that we can put ourselves together because we believe that if we have this unity and vote together as a family, it will help us do better as a party.
“It will even help us members-elect to operate better and so, we have consistently held this meeting. We have four or five of this meeting, our own presidential candidate (Mr Peter Obi) has been involved in this meeting. You will recall that I have also had the privilege of informing you about the meeting but for tight schedule, you have not been able to join us.

“I recall the last one. I requested you should be available because of the critical decision that we are about to make. Where we are right now is that, the National Assembly is at the verge of being inaugurated and leadership is expected to emerge both in the Senate and in the House of Representatives.
“It will appear as if some of our members are divided along some political lines and so, we have had series of this engagement. The last one was on Monday where we resolved unanimously that we are going to make the decision on Friday which is tomorrow or Saturday.

“So, as one of the great leaders of the party, we are grateful that you brought us together this evening considering background and circumstances of the party, looking at the mood of the nation which led to the Obi-dient movement that eventually culminated into the election of all our members, we must be very conscious of our behaviours, we must be conscious of what we do.

“Expectations from the people are very high, people see us those elected on this platform as those that will save the country and save them and therefore, the exceptions are high.  Therefore, we must watch our behaviour and our actions.
“Whether we are going to enjoy the support that we enjoyed from the people, depend on the way we conduct ourselves especially our behaviour in the National Assembly. Whether we like it or not, those elected today will become the mirror through which the party will be assessed,” Abure said.
Meanwhile the adoption of Abass and Kalu came after a meeting of the caucus held in Abuja last night.
Over 30 members of the caucus signed the endorsement document.

Deputy Chairman House Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo, who made the announcement during a meeting with Abbas, Kalu and their team, said the endorsement list was an ongoing one.
He said there were 43 members in the caucus out of which 32 had signed the endorsement list, and noted that other members of the caucus who were not in Abuja would sign when they return.