The Labour Party National Transition Committee (NTC) has warned aspirants on the platform of the party not to patronise the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NEC) because the convention that brought them to office was illegal.

Chairman of the transition committee, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, in a statement, also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to investigate the accounts of the party being operated by Abure’s NWC.

Omar noted that the Nnewi convention of March 27, which brought Abure to office, was not monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and was rejected by Labour Party stakeholders.

According to him, the Nnewi convention was in contravention of INEC guidelines for the conduct of congresses by political parties.

“Ironically, it is on that multi-institutionally condemned, rejected, dismissed and invalid, illegal convention that Julius Abure and his renegades of the Labour Party rely on as their authority to conduct congresses of the party,” he stated.

The NTC Chairman reminded intending aspirants on the LP platform of the mass sack of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Zamfara State governor-elect in 2019, and all the National and state Assembly elect, “because the primaries that produced them for election as the party’s candidates was conducted by an illegal party structure.”

He equally noted that in November 2023, the Court of Appeal in Abuja annulled the election of 16 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled House of Assembly in Plateau State, eight months after their inauguration, and handed their victory to their APC opponents “because the PDP party structure that nominated them for election was illegal.

“It is the well-meaning desire of the NTC that none of you will suffer the double hazards of loss of resources and irrecoverable opportunity by wasting your energies and hard-earned money on Abure and his charade of congresses by his wolf pack.”

Omar accused Abure of “fleecing members of Labour Party and the public of their hard-earned money,” and called on intending aspirants not to fall victims.

He called on the EFCC “to speedily investigate” the bank account Abure’s NWC is using and to bring them to book for trial for financial crimes.

He pledged the commitment of the NTC “to, within the shortest feasible time, guide our party to conduct transparent, democratic ward, LGA and state congresses nationwide, culminating in a credible, expansive, all-inclusive National Convention.” (New Telegraph)

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