Fresh crisis rocks Labour Party as details of Peter Obi, Alex Otti’s letter to INEC surface

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The Labour Party's leadership crisis deepens as Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti write INEC
The labour leaders urged the electoral umpire to recognize its newly constituted 29-member interim committee led by Senator Esther Nnenadi Usman, the LP's chairperson
The request was forwarded to INEC because the Abure-led NWC failed to organize the necessary congresses before convening a convention and also rejected Usman's new committee

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The crisis within the Labour Party (LP) has taken a fresh twist as details of a letter sent by Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate and Governor Alex Otti of Abia state to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have surfaced.

Read details of Obi, Otti's letter to INEC

As reported by The Nigerian Tribune, the letter, dated September 6, 2024, requested INEC’s recognition of a 29-member interim committee, headed by Senator Esther Nnenadi Usman, to oversee party operations temporarily.

The move follows a leadership meeting in Umuahia, Abia state, attended by key figures such as the LP’s presidential candidate Peter Obi, Governor Alex Otti, and other party leaders.

The newly formed committee, chaired by former Finance Minister Senator Nenadi Usman, will oversee the party’s affairs in the interim and conduct congresses and a national convention within 180 days to elect a new leadership.

“You will recall that Labour Party had had a leadership crisis in recent times culminating in the de-recognition of the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) by INEC effective June 2024. This is sequel to the settlement brokered by INEC on June 27, 2022.”“A major part of the settlement states that an all-inclusive national convention, preceded by ward, local government and state congresses shall be convened not later than one year after signing the terms of settlement,” the letter said.

Obi and Otti stated in the letter that By March 2024, the Abure-led NWC organised a convention at Nnewi without first organising ward, local government and state congresses, this, they noted, violated settlement terms established in 2018.

“You will recall that Labour Party had had a leadership crisis in recent times culminating in the de-recognition of the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) by INEC effective June 2024.“By March 2024, the Abure-led NWC organised a convention at Nnewi without first organising ward, local government and state congresses. This fell short of the standards and the spirit of the terms of settlement as stated above. In the light of all these, a leadership vacuum arose in the party. In like manner, the National Executive Committee membership got depleted leaving less than 10 members standing.”

However, Julius Abure-led Labour Party, has rejected the committee, labeling it “illegal” and “unconstitutional”.

Abure challenged Otti to provide official communication from INEC supporting his claims of a leadership vacuum within the party.

Read the Obi, Otti's letter to INEC here:

Read more about Labour Party here:

2027: "Who're you fighting?" Obi replies Abure

In another development, Legit.ng reported that the internal crisis within the LP has escalated, with Peter Obi, finally responding to accusations levelled against him by the embattled national chairman, Barrister Julius Abure.

At the recent Labour Party National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, held on Monday, Julius Abure accused Peter Obi and Alex Otti, the party’s sole governor from Abia state, of betrayal.

Reacting to the allegations, Peter Obi, through his spokesperson, Comrade Ibrahim Umar of the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), expressed disappointment over Abure's comments but dismissed the claims as politically motivated.

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Source: Legit.ng

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