Why INEC is ‘punishing’ LP, by Abure faction

• Accuses umpire of undue interference in party’s affairs
•Party’s constitution, not individual, removed Abure, Obi clarifies

The Julius Abure faction of the Labour Party (LP) has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is punishing the party for defending its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, in the 2023 elections.

It accused the electoral umpire of undue interference in the party’s internal affairs.

Meanwhile, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has clarified that the constitution of the party, and not an individual, removed Abure, the embattled former national chairman because his tenure has elapsed.

In a statement, yesterday, spokesman of the Abure faction, Obiora Ifoh, claimed that INEC was supporting Obi and Otti’s attempt to seize control of the party through undemocratic means.

LP’s crisis began when members were challenging the legitimacy of the Nnewi Convention of the party, which reportedly returned Abure and some of his executive committee members.

To ensure peace, Obi and Otti convened a stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, where they appointed a 29-member caretaker committee to replace the leadership.

But Abure and some party members dispute the legitimacy of this move.

INEC insists the tenure of Abure and his exco expired in June, citing Electoral Act guidelines.

Ifoh stated, “We are shocked by INEC’s sudden interest in our internal affairs. This is a clear case of interference and an attempt to destabilise our party.”

Stakeholders were shocked when Abure was recently asked to leave an INEC meeting, and the party was not invited to a subsequent meeting in preparation for the September and November elections in Edo and Ondo states respectively. This was consequent upon the controversial Nnewi convention where Abure allegedly manipulated the process to ensure his return.

INEC refused to recognise the outcome of that convention.

Even the party’s only governor, Otti, and its presidential candidate, Obi, boycotted the convention, having advised Abure to consult more widely beforehand.

OBI, who was represented by his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, gave the clarification on Abure at the inaugural meeting of the caretaker committee of the party in Abuja on Tuesday night.

He called on Abure and his team to sheathe their swords and join the caretaker committee to rebuild the party.

“No governor unseated Abure; the constitution unseated him. Abure’s time elapsed. Nobody unseated him. As of today, Abure is our good friend and a loyal member. We want him back in the fold. We have roles for him to play.

“We didn’t have a crisis. We managed a transition, which was a bit bumpy and that was it. No other political party of our size could do that in the time and manner we did.

“We are a political party that went all the way to the Supreme Court claiming our 10 million votes. They were only able to give us six million votes. So, we are a force to contend with in Africa. What we’ve done has never been done before. When the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came, they had the military. We had nothing,” he said.

Obi stressed that he was not surprised by the present economic crisis rocking the country, saying the party warned Nigerians of the impending disaster if the All Progressives Congress (APC) took charge of the country.

He assured the audience that the opposition party was ready to repeat and surpass the feat recorded during the 2023 elections by producing a majority in the National Assembly and winning the presidential seat in 2027.

Obi added: “We warned Nigerians of the failure of APC. The danger of APC is happening. They are failing more on the Nigerian economy. They are destroying the security of Nigeria. Every day in the news, our citizens are abducted and killed in hundreds in the villages.”

Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Sen Nenadi Usman, assured party members of the committee’s determination to rescue the party from its present challenges, restore and rebuild it as a veritable alternative platform for Nigerians.

She stated the committee’s readiness to lead the party to the path of reconciliation within the short time of its assignment.