Ireti Kingibe, senator representing the Federal Capital Territory district, has backed the 29-member caretaker committee established by the national leader of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, Abia Governor Alex Otti, and party stakeholders last week to oversee an expansive national convention.
The Abuja senator gave her endorsement at the launch of a four-day free medical outreach, which she facilitated for her constituents in Abuja.
The free medical outreach, organised in collaboration with the National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, attracted many people seeking eye tests, free treatment, and referrals for suspected cataract cases.
The senator, represented by her senior legislative aide, Dr Chris Omofoma, argued that every Labour Party member knows the tenure of the National Chairman, Julius Abure, and his National Working Committee ended as far back as June 2023.
While noting that Abure and his loyalists have yet to accept this reality, Kingibe explained that Otti and Obi, whom Abure is now opposing, had previously requested an extension of his tenure by an extra year to help recover from the 2023 presidential election loss.
“There is really no crisis in Labour. Abure’s NWC refuses to admit that their tenure has ended. Even INEC has clearly stated that Abure’s tenure ended in June 2023,” Punch quoted her as saying.
“However, Alex Otti and Peter Obi extended it by one year so the party could recover from the (2023) election losses before conducting the national convention. So, their tenure was extended to June 8, 2024, which has now lapsed.
“So, whatever Alex Otti, Obi, and other party stakeholders are doing is in line with the constitution and INEC guidelines. It is now up to Abure to accept the reality that his tenure is over, and it is time to do what is necessary.
“I fully support the Nenadi Usman-led committee. That is the way forward. Anything else from the Abure-led NWC is illegal.”
Obi, Otti notify INEC
Meanwhile, Mr. Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party in the last general election, and Governor Alex Otti, have written to the national chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, to notify the regulatory body of the setting up of a 29-member caretaker committee to organise the party ‘s congresses and national convention within a period not exceeding 180 days.
The letter, dated September 6, 2024, and signed by Obi and Otti, also informed the INEC chairman of the leadership crisis in the party.
The letter formally unveiled the names of the 29-member caretaker committee.
In the letter, Obi and Otti, who convened the September 4 expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the party in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, where the committee was set up, stated, “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.”
The letter said the settlement was founded on the consent court judgement by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on March 20, 2018.
“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.
It added that because of the 2023 general election, the implementation of the agreement was deferred by one year to 2024.
Obi and Otti stated in the letter, “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.”
The letter explained, “Given the above scenario, the statutory executives of the party made up of the governor, deputy governor, and legislators, in addition to all surviving members of NEC, the leadership of organised labour, representatives of governorship candidates in the 2023 election and subsequent ones, presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2023 election and other party leaders, met in Umuahia, Abia State, on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 and set up a caretaker committee to organise congresses and the national convention within a period not exceeding 180 days to fill the vacuum created by the expiration of the tenure of the erstwhile leadership of the party at all levels.”
The duo also informed the INEC chairman that Senator Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha were appointed by the stakeholders’ meeting as Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of the party’s caretaker committee.
The letter also listed other members of the committee representing critical stakeholders of the party.
They included representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, and Comrade Chris Uyot.
According to the letter, the senate is being represented by Senators Victor Umeh, Neda Imasuen, and Ireti Kingibe, while the House of Representatives is represented by Hon. Afam Ogene, Hon. Seyi Sowunmi, Hon. Sunday Umeha, Hon. Donatus Matthew, and Hon. Esosa Iyawe
The former governorship candidates of the party were represented by Ken Pela (Delta), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Lagos), Jonathan Asake (Kaduna), and Edward Pwajok (Plateau).
The members of the state Houses of Assembly in the caretaker committee included Hon. Edosa Richard, Hon. Harrison Oghara, Hon. Augustine Okezie, and Hon. Clinton Amadi
Representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the committee were Mohammed Misau, Austin Jonah, and Sansa Omalara.
According to the letter, the other members of the caretaker committee are Edwin Bafte Sajo, Nike Oshola, Aishat Madijiem, Ugoeze Caroline Onwubiko, and Dominic Essien.
