Will Abure’s Sack Make or Mar Labour Party?

The dissolution of Julius Abure-led National Working Committee of the Labour Party by the party’s stakeholders’ meeting convened by Governor Alex Otti of Abia State and the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, in what many described as an effort to recreate the party, may open another floodgate of litigations, which may potentially make or mar the party, Chuks Okocha writes

The crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) took a new turn last Wednesday when the stakeholders’ meeting convened by the sole governor of the party, Alex Otti and the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, dissolved the party’s national leadership led by Mr. Julius Abure. In its place, they elected former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, to lead a 29-member national caretaker committee of the party.

The immediate-past Senate Minority Deputy Leader, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, was also appointed to serve as Secretary to the committee, which will midwife an election of a new leadership of the party within the next 90 days.

Otti had called for the stakeholders’ meeting to address the crisis rocking the party’s leadership. The meeting attended by Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed, his running mate, was held at the Banquet Hall of the Abia State Government House, Umuahia.

According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor of Abia State, Ukoha Njoku, the Terms of Reference of the committee include, ensuring the conduct of ward, local government, state congresses and national convention as soon as possible and in accordance with the constitution of the party.

Other members representing various interest groups including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Senate, House of Representatives, House of Assembly, and gubernatorial candidates in the last election, also attended the meeting.

The meeting commended Governor Otti for his leadership in hosting the meeting and enjoined members of the party to support the caretaker committee to achieve its mandates.

The resolution named other members of the committee to include three senators, four members of House of Representatives, three members from states’ Houses of Assembly, three members from the NLC, three members from the TUC, three members from the gubernatorial candidates in the last election among others.

Otti said the meeting was convened to deal with the existential problems confronting the party and chart a way forward for the party. He noted that the tenure of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party headed by Julius Abure had elapsed since June 10, 2024 and called on all stakeholders to join forces together to resolve every internal problem of the party.

He added that the overall interest of all stakeholders is the survival of the party and not necessarily the composition of the NWC as far as it is constitutionally composed.

Also speaking, the national leader of the party and presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Obi, said all they are doing is to follow the guidelines established by law to save the party from total collapse. He noted that the Labour Party being the third largest party in Nigeria has the potential of being the brightest if things are put in the right perspective and urged members of the party to give the caretaker committee the needed support to enable it succeed in its assignments.

Responding on behalf of members of the caretaker committee, Senator Usman thanked Obi and other stakeholders for finding them fit for the task and assured that they will justify the confidence reposed in them.

Highlights of the meeting were the reaffirmation of the solid confidence in the leadership of Obi and the resolution that all members with legal cases against the party should withdraw the same for the overall interest of the party.

Since after the 2023 presidential election, the party under Abure has been enmeshed in crisis. While many of the crises border on corruption, others were internal party wangling, which led to various suits filed to remove him from office.

In the eyes of the public and others, the crises in the party have weakened it internally and diminished its standing among the electorate. 

Recently, the NLC and TUC worsened the crises when they contested the leadership of the party with the Abure-led NWC.

Perhaps the climax was the dispute between the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The commission had claimed that it did not monitor the Nnewi convention of the party.

 Following the non-invitation of the party to its official assignments by INEC, Otti had asked the Abure-led party to summon a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) for August 31 to discuss the problems affecting the party. But the Abure leadership kicked against the idea, claiming that there was no need for such as the present executive committee headed by him was properly constituted.

Rather, he set up a disciplinary committee and threatened to discipline erring members. He also claimed that INEC, the regulatory body of political parties, had not written to reject the national convention of the party that took place on March 29.

Following a request by Steve Adehi (SAN), to INEC to obtain the true status of the Abure-led party’s national convention, INEC had last month said it did not monitor the Nnewi convention of the party.

In response to Adehi’s letter, the acting National Secretary of INEC, Harilu Aminu, in a letter dated July 18, 2024 said, “The commission has received your request for Certified True Copy (CTC) of the monitored report of Labour Party Convention at Nnewi, Anambra State held on the 27 day of March 2024, and the Labour Party Constitution. The Certified True Copy of the Labour Party Constitution has been forwarded to your firm earlier. Regrettably the commission did not monitor the Labour Party Convention of March 27, 2024 and cannot therefore report on the convention.”

It was in view of INEC’s claim that the duo of Obi and Otti summoned an expanded stakeholders’ meeting to resolve the lingering crisis in the party.

Responding to the scheduled meeting then, Abure had urged Otti to stick to governance and stop meddling in the party’s affairs. He said it was not the position of the governor to consider taking such a decision.

As expected, the embattled national chairman has kicked against the decision sacking him from office, describing it as illegal, unconstitutional, and an enterprise in futility. He argued that the outcome of a validly conducted national convention held in Nnewi earlier this year still exists. 

Abure, who spoke through the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in a statement said the meeting was not organised by the party and therefore does not reflect its position or interests.

The statement read: “As clearly stated in our previous statement, the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti and all others who have converged in Umuahia have no power within the party constitution, the Electoral Act and even within the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to convene any meeting of the party.

“The combined reading of the two provisions shows clearly that the so-called meeting in Umuahia is a charade, a waste of time and resources of Abia people.

“The premise on which Governor Alex Otti called the meeting is not only faulty but mischievous. Government business is not transacted verbally but through official communication and correspondences which are done in writing. As we speak, there is no communication whatsoever from INEC to the party as regards any objection to the conduct of the national convention.

 “We challenge Alex Otti to produce the official letter addressed to him from INEC on the subject matter. There is no vacuum in the leadership of the party.

“Consequently, the so-called caretaker committee set up by the Governor of Abia State is not known to the constitution of the party and can best be described as a department in Abia State Government House.

“We are shocked to note that the so-called chairman of the caretaker committee is not a registered member of the party. She surfaced to assist during the Peter Obi presidential campaign,” the statement added.

There is no doubt that the resolution from the stakeholders’ meeting did not go down well with Abure and members of the NWC. 

Having rejected the decision of the party stakeholders, the likely option for Abure and his NWC is the court to ventilate their grievances unless they throw in the towel for the interest and survival of the party, given the fact that they are no longer in charge of any Labour Party as the stakeholders who constitute the soul and body of the party has rejected them.

In the likely event of Abure approaching the courts, the outcome will definitely make or mar the party.