- We're not aware - Abure-led NWC
The Labour Party's (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Dr. Alex Otti, the party's sole governor from Abia State, have scheduled an extended stakeholders meeting of the party for September 4.
The meeting, set to take place at the Banquet Hall, Government House in Umuahia, Abia State, is expected to include prominent party members, such as LP Chairman Julius Abure and four other members of the party's National Working Committee (NWC), according to the notice jointly signed by Obi and Otti.
However, in a swift reaction, the NWC denied any knowledge of the meeting.
The party's National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, when contacted by Daily Trust, said, "We are not aware of any meeting."
According to the meeting notice published in a national newspaper, other invited stakeholders include the party's former vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, serving and former Senators and House of Representatives members of the party, and representatives from the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), who are members of the National Executive Council of the party.
The list of invitees also includes the Deputy Governor of Abia State, gubernatorial candidates from Edo and Ondo states, and former gubernatorial candidates from Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.
Addressing the situation, Obi, through his chief spokesperson, Mallam Yunusa Tanko, clarified that the meeting is part of initiatives aimed at resolving the party's internal crisis.
He stressed that the meeting is not intended to remove the Abure-led NWC or target anyone for retribution.
Tanko noted that Governor Otti and Obi are aligned in their desire to resolve the party's issues, saying, "Let us call everybody together. Let us look at these issues and solve them."
When questioned on the authority of Obi and Otti to summon such a meeting, Tanko responded that the leadership tussle within the party involving officials from the NLC and TUC necessitates internal discussions. He argued that as party leaders, Obi and Otti have the right to bring everyone together to address the issues.
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Meanwhile, LP National Chairman Julius Abure, following the NWC meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, urged Governor Otti to refrain from interfering in the party's administration and to focus on governance instead of attempting to control the party.
Abure's statement followed a recent meeting with Otti, where the governor expressed his intention to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to dissolve the party's various executive councils.
