LP crisis: Otti ignores Abure’s warning, summons stakeholders’ meeting

The face-off between the leadership of the Labour Party and Governor Alex Otti of Abia State took another twist on Wednesday when he announced his intention to summon a meeting of the National Executive Committee.

The proposed NEC, which has been rechristened ‘Stakeholders’ Meeting’ following Tuesday’s outburst by the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, is slated for September 4 at the Government House in Umuahia, Abia State.

This was disclosed in a circular issued by the Senior Special Assistant to Otti on Public Communication, Dodoh Okafor.

Otti said the meeting was aimed at building a stronger and better Labour Party.

The gathering will have LP Presidential candidate, Peter Obi; his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed; members of the Julius Aburi-led National Working Committee, senators, and House of Representatives members in attendance.

The circular partly read, “Three representatives of the Nigerian Labour Congress who are members of the National Executive Council of the Party, three representatives of the Trade Union Congress who are members of the National Executive Council of Labour Party, Vice Presidential candidate of the 2023 election will be attending.

“Also invited are Abia deputy governor, all serving and former Senators who are members of the party, all serving and former members of the House of Representatives, serving members of Houses of Assembly of States, five members of the Abure-led National Working Committee viz: National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman, Secretary, Woman Leader and Youth Leader, Gubernatorial candidates of Edo and Ondo states.

“The following former governorship candidates representing the six geo-political zones will attend: Ken Pela (Delta State – South West), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Lagos State – South South), Chijioke Edeoga (Enugu State – South East), Jonathan Asake (Kaduna state – North West), Patrick Dakum (Plateau State – North Central), Keftin Amuga (Gombe State – North East).”

The development comes in the wake of Tuesday’s warning by Abure that Otti should stick to governance and stop meddling in the party affairs by summoning NEC meeting.

The National Chairman of LP, Julius Abure, issued the warning at a press conference held at the LP secretariat in Abuja.

The LP national chairman’s anger stemmed from a recent meeting he had with Otti where the Abia governor stated his intention to convene NEC meeting on August 31 to dissolve the executives at the ward, local government, state, and national levels on the purported ground that their tenures had expired.

But Abure kicked, saying it was not the position of its governor to consider taking such a decision.

When contacted for a reaction to Otti’s insistence on having the stakeholder’s meeting, the LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, told The PUNCH that they are unaware of such a circular.

Ifoh said, “We are officially unaware of any meeting. I am just hearing that it has been changed from NEC to stakeholders’ meeting along with the new date from you.”

He, however, declined to comment on whether Abure and the NWC members will attend the proposed meeting.