A fresh crisis over the control of the Labour Party (LP) may be brewing as the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee has asked the Governor of Abia State Alex Otti to stop interfering in the administration of the party.

During a press conference on Tuesday, the national chairman of the LP, Abure asked Governor Otti to focus on governance instead of struggling for the control of the party.

The LP national chairman’s anger stemmed from a recent meeting with Otti, where the Abia governor stated his intention to convene a National Executive Committee meeting on August 31 to dissolve the National Executive Council, State Executive Council, Local Government Executive Council, and Ward Executive Council.

The governor argued that the tenure of the party’s current leadership had expired long ago.

But Abure rejected the move, stating that it was not within the governor’s purview to make such decisions.

The NWC of the party in a meeting convened by Abure on Monday, countered the governor, insisting that there was no “vacuum in the leadership of our Party.”

The party questioned why Governor Otti, who was ably represented by his Deputy at the convention that took place in Nnewi, Anambra State on March 27, 2024, was still calling for the dissolution of the elected executives.

He said: “The National Working Committee also notes that assuming without conceding that the tenure of the current NWC has even expired, we must state clearly that it is not the responsibility of Dr. Alex Otti, as the governor of Abia State, to convene an NEC meeting to set up a caretaker committee. It is still the responsibility of the national chairman and the national secretary of the party to convene such a meeting.

“Secondly, it is the responsibility of INEC to officially communicate to the party in writing if it has objections to the conduct of the convention and indeed to inform the leadership that its tenure has expired. We want to appeal to our colleagues to concentrate on governance and allow us to handle party affairs.

“The Labour Party is different from other political parties in that it is not controlled by one man, woman, or leader; neither is it a party that can be dominated by one person. It is a party for the generality of the people. The party’s outlook made it possible for people like Dr. Alex Otti to use the platform and win in 2023 after attempting and failing in APC, PDP, and even APGA,” he said.

Abure said that Otti’s argument was allegedly based on the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the tenures of the current NWC and other grassroots leaders had expired.

The LP chairman said that until the recent omission of the party from INEC discussions with political parties, there had been no rift with the commission.

“Therefore, for any person(s), group, or agency to speculate that the tenures of the current executives have expired is not only mischievous but a deliberate attempt to destabilise the party. Apart from the fact that a Federal High Court in Abuja has already validated the National Convention held on March 27, other persons have challenged the convention of the party.

“It is therefore established in our laws that once cases are pending in our courts, parties are to maintain the status quo to prevent further harm to the party. INEC is expected not to descend into the arena of conflict but to continue with its neutrality and work cordially with the recognised leadership of the party until the courts state otherwise,” he said.

Abure lamented that it was bad enough for the party to endure criticism and persecution from those seeking to tear it apart, without having to contend with its chieftains, members, and stakeholders following the same path.

The LP national chairman said the NWC of the party has established a disciplinary committee to henceforth sanction any erring members or bigwigs who make decisions that could undermine the party.

“Consequently, the national leadership states clearly, that it will not hesitate to discipline any member of the Party who is not ready to obey the Constitution of the Party and indeed, obey the lawful directive of the leadership of the Party,” Abure said. (The Nation)

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