Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, are pushing forward with their planned expanded stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia on September 4, despite resistance from the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure.
Speaking through his media team, Obi clarified that the upcoming meeting would serve as a crucial platform for party members to address and resolve the ongoing internal crises.
Dr. Tanko Yunusa, the spokesman for Obi’s media team, noted that the party could not ignore its challenges and must confront the issues head-on to find a resolution.
Governor Otti had initially called for a meeting of the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), but this was met with opposition from Chairman Abure, who warned Otti to focus on governance and avoid interfering in party matters.
Abure’s disapproval centered around Otti’s proposal to dissolve the current executives at ward, local government, state, and national levels, arguing that their tenures had expired.
In response to the opposition, Otti rebranded the NEC meeting as a stakeholders’ meeting, which will now proceed as planned.
Despite Abure’s warnings, Otti stated he remains committed to the gathering, which he believes is necessary for addressing the party’s internal disputes.
Peter Obi, showing strong support for the meeting, argued that such a forum is the ideal setting for resolving the party’s leadership issues.
He stressed the importance of bringing relevant stakeholders together to address the differences that have plagued the party in recent times.
Obi highlighted that there have been ongoing efforts to find solutions to the party’s internal problems, including discussions with the Labour Party, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
He noted that these efforts have been aimed at fostering unity and resolving conflicts within the party.
Obi further underscored the necessity of facing the truth and involving all stakeholders in the resolution process. He believes that the September 4 meeting could be a pivotal step in overcoming the crises that have been troubling the Labour Party.
