Labour Party Moves Against Abia Gov Otti, Announces Disciplinary Committee

The Labour Party is currently grappling with an internal dispute regarding its leadership and organizational structure. A recent National Working Committee (NWC) meeting, held on August 26, 2024, at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, revealed tensions over the party's executive tenure and calls for a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

The controversy stems from Abia State Governor Alex Otti and other members advocating for a NEC meeting to form a caretaker committee. They argue that the tenures of the current party executives, which officially ended in June, have expired. The Abure-led NWC, however, contends that their tenure was extended through a valid Congress held on March 27, 2024.

The NWC's communique, presented after their meeting, asserts that there is no leadership vacuum within the party. It highlights that the March convention was conducted in compliance with both the Electoral Act 2022 and the Labour Party Constitution. The party’s leadership emphasized that the National Chairman and the National Secretary are solely responsible for convening NEC meetings and not external figures like Governor Otti.

The NWC has established a disciplinary committee led by Barrister Kehinde Edun, the party’s National Legal Adviser, to address the ongoing disputes. The committee's role includes investigating any alleged misconduct or challenges to the party’s leadership.

The NWC's statement also dismissed claims of a leadership vacuum as misleading, underscoring that no official communication from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been received concerning objections to the convention. The party's leadership maintains that all procedures were followed, and any dissenting opinions are viewed as attempts to destabilize the party.
 
In a statement on its official website, the party questioned why Governor Otti, who was ably represented by his Deputy at the convention that took place in Nnewi, Anambra State is still calling for the dissolution of leadership.

“The NWC must also state in addition, that the Labour Party is different from other Political Parties in the sense that it is not a party that is controlled by one man, woman or leader; neither is it a party that can be put in the pocket of one person.

“It is a party for the generality of the people. For these reasons, it was possible to record the successes it made in the 2023 general election.

“The outlook of the party made it possible for people like Dr Alex Otti to use the platform and win in 2023 after trying and failing in APC, PDP and even APGA. Therefore, the ideology, principles, ideals and outlook of the party must be maintained”, the statement added.