- Labour’s Board of Trustees Steps In, Takes Over Party’s Affairs
By Abiola Olawale
The crisis rocking the Labour Party has continued to deepen as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disassociated itself from the controversial National Convention that produced Mr Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the party for the second term.
In another twist, the Board of Trustees of the Labour Party has side-lined Abure, declaring that it has taken over the running of the affairs of the party.
The New Diplomat reports that on Wednesday, Abure was declared re-elected as the National Chairman of the Labour Party after a unanimous affirmation of delegates. His victory was declared by the Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu at the party’s national convention, which was held in Nnewi, Anambra State.
However, the INEC has disowned Wednesday’s Labour Party’s national convention which was held in Anambra.
The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said this in Abuja on Thursday.
Oyekanmi said that the conduct of the convention was not monitored by INEC, declining to state further why it was not monitored.
It would be recalled that the Labour Party had on Tuesday shifted the convention from Umuahia in Abia to Nnewi, Anambra State.
According to Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 political parties shall give INEC at least 21 days’ notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting.
This includes the convention or meeting convened for “merger” and electing members of its executive committees and other governing bodies or nominating candidates.
An insider source who spoke with the New Diplomat said the National Convention held by Abure cannot hold any waters in the eyes of the law as it failed to conform with the provisions of the constitution. The source alleged that Abure and his cohorts conducted the National Convention in secrecy, adding that several stakeholders of the party were not present at the exercise. The source also questioned the delegates who voted for Abure to emerge as the National Chairman of the party.
In a similar vein, the Board of Trustees of the Labour Party has rejected the controversial National Convention held by Abure.
The BoT in a statement issued late on Wednesday by its Chairman, Comrade S. O. Z. Ejiofor, said it did not recognise the National Convention, declaring that it has stepped into the leadership affairs of the party pending the conduct of a valid convention.
The statement reads: “Following the expiration of the tenure in office of the immediate past National Working Committee of the Labour Party headed by Mr Julius Abure, the Board of Trustees of the Labour Party, in line with the Labour Party Constitution, has stepped in to steer the affairs of the Labour Party.
“This step is to avoid any leadership vacuum in the Labour Party.
“Furthermore, the Board of Trustees of the Labour Party, in consultation with major stakeholders in the Party, will soon communicate the processes for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive National Convention of the Labour Party,” part of the statement read.
The BOT also assured all stakeholders that it’s committed to reclaiming and repositioning the Labour Party as the vehicle for the socio-political emancipation of the country and its working people.
