In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, Labour Party said Governor Otti and other members of the party who converged on Umuahia for the stakeholders’ meeting have no power within the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act and within the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to convene any meeting of the political party.
The Labour Party (LP) has distanced itself from the outcome of the party’s stakeholders meeting summoned in Umuahia, Abia State capital by the state governor, Alex Otti.
The party declared the meeting as illegal and unconstitutional.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, Labour Party said Governor Otti and other members of the party who converged on Umuahia for the stakeholders’ meeting have no power within the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act and within the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to convene any meeting of the political party.
According to the Labour Party’s spokesperson, an expanded stakeholders' meeting is not an organ known to the constitution of the party.
The statement stressed that the premise on which Governor Otti called the meeting is not only faulty but mischievous, adding that the government’s business is not transacted verbally but through official communication and correspondences which are done in writing.
The Labour Party challenged Governor Otti to produce the official letter addressed to him from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the subject matter as there is no vacuum in the leadership of the party.
Governor Otti and the party’s former presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi had reportedly proceeded with plans for the stakeholders’ meeting despite objections from the party chairman, Julius Abure.
Obi’s media team said the former presidential candidate noted that the planned expanded stakeholders’ meeting would be an opportunity for the party members to resolve the internal crisis of the party.
The spokesman for the media team, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, was quoted as saying, “The party cannot be burning and we pretend that all is well. We will tell ourselves the home truth and prepare on how to resolve the crisis.”
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.
“Moreover, an expanded Stakeholders' meeting is not an organ known to the Constitution of the Party.
“Article 11 of our Party Constitution 2024, 2019 and 2009 provides as follows: 'There shall be four (4) levels of Party Organizations Namely: Ward; Local Government Area iii. State; National.
“The organizational structure at the State level shall also apply mutatis mutandis to the Federal Capital Territory Abuja as if it were a state...'
“Similarly, Article 12 of the same constitution equally provides as follows: 'Article 12 Principal Organs of the Party: National Convention; National Executive Council; National Working Committee; Board of Trustees; State Congress; State Executive Council; State Working Committee; Local Government Congress; Local Government Area Council; Local Government Area Working Committee; Ward Congress; Ward Executive Council.'”
It further read, “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 during the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign to assist Peter Obi in his campaign.”
Labour Party Press Release.
Labour Party Disowns Outcome Of Umuahia Stakeholders Meeting Summoned By Abia State Governor, Alex Otti. The Meeting Is Illegal And Unconstitutional pic.twitter.com/nQnRRy4xWK
— LabourPartyNG (@NgLabour) September 4, 2024
In a recent meeting Abure had with Otti, the governor stated his intention to convene a NEC meeting on August 31 to dissolve the executives at the ward, local government, state, and national levels was on the ground that their tenures had expired.
But while Abure objected to Otti's decision, saying it was not the position of the governor to act on such, Otti ignored the objection and rechristened the NEC meeting as a ‘stakeholders’ meeting’, a decision backed by Obi.