A faction of the Labour Party (LP) led by Julius Abure has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of targeting the party for retribution due to its active support for the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, during the 2023 general elections.
The allegations were made during a media briefing held by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, at the party’s National Secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to Ifoh, INEC’s actions appear to be influenced by the involvement of key Labour Party leaders in the last general elections.
Ifoh further claimed that both Peter Obi and Alex Otti had betrayed the ideals of the Labour Party. He accused them of siding with INEC, which, in his words, failed to reflect the people’s will in the 2023 polls.
He also alleged that efforts were being made by certain party leaders, including Obi and Otti, to undermine the current leadership of the party.
“The Labour Party feels the need to inform Nigerians about the recent developments within the party, particularly the actions of some leaders, such as Peter Obi and Alex Otti, who are working to take control of the party’s leadership through dubious means, using INEC as their instrument,” Ifoh stated.
Ifoh recalled how the Labour Party had once accommodated some of these leaders after they were denied tickets by their former political parties.
He also criticised INEC for suggesting, in a counter affidavit, that the current executives’ tenure had expired, which some party leaders used as justification for their actions.
“Recently, Peter Obi and Alex Otti convened an illegal stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, where they undemocratically appointed a 29-member caretaker committee to lead their faction of the party.
This was done without proper consultation or democratic processes,” he added.
The faction claims that a letter was subsequently sent to INEC on September 6, 2024, by Obi and Otti’s faction, informing the commission of an alleged leadership crisis within the party.
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