The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disowned the controversial National Convention of the Labour Party (LP), where Julius Abure was re-elected as chairman of the party.
The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, made the position known while speaking the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja, on a day the Board of Trustees of the Labour Party announced its takeover of the running of the affairs of the party.
The Board stated that it does not recognise the party’s controversial national convention which took place in Anambra, where Julius Abure was re-elected as national chairman
BAR & BENCH WATCH reports that the controversial convention held on Wednesday, March 27, in Nnewi, Anambra State.
Abure, along with eight others, were declared re-elected into the 22-member National Working Committee (NWC) of the LP on Wednesday, at a National Convention, which was held at Grand Seasons Hotel in Nnewi and chaired by Ikechukwu Emetu, Deputy Governor of Abia State.
Oyekanmi said the controversial National Convention was not monitored by INEC.
It was not clear whether the INEC was not duly informed about the convention as required by relevant law.
BAR & BENCH WATCH reports that Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, mandates political parties to give INEC at least 21 days’ notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting.
Meanwhile, the factional chairman of the Party in Anambra State, Peter Okoye, has queried the legality of the national election.
“This is not a convention. We are on top of the matter. It’s purely illegal. There was no ward congress, no local government congress, no state congress, and now who and who are the elected delegates that elected the National Working Committee, NWC, members?
“The NLC was not there. TUC was not there, the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BOT members were not there too. So, who is holding the convention?”
Earlier, the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Party, on Wednesday, declared the convention a charade, while declaring the expiration of the tenure of the Abure-led NWC.
It would be recalled that the Nigeria Labour (NLC) had earlier asked Abure to shelve his planned secret National convention.
Reacting to Abure’s re-election earlier on Wednesday, Benson Upah, spokesperson of the NLC, said “the whole exercise was a charade. It is an illegality, a nullity. The whole exercise was a charade! Nothing can legitimise such brazen impunity.”
Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees of the Labour Party has announced its takeover of the running of the affairs of the party.
Making the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday, the party’s BoT Chairman, S. O. Z. Ejiofor, said the move became necessary to avoid any leadership vacuum in the party.
According to Mr Ejiofor, the latest development which is in line with the party’s constitution “followed the expiration of the tenure in office of the immediate past National Working Committee of the Labour Party headed by Mr Julius Abure.”
Mr Ejiofor stated that the BoT does not recognise the party’s controversial national convention which took place earlier in the day in Anambra, where Julius Abure was re-elected as national chairman.
He said, “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.
“This is in line with the March 20, 2018, Federal High Court consent judgment delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, which recognised the Nigeria Labour Congress as the owner of the Labour Party and mandated that an all-inclusive and expansive National Convention of the Labour Party be held.
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