Abia Labour Party Dissociates Self From The Lamidi Apapa Led Bauchi NEC Meeting

In a communiqu├® co-signed by the Abia State Chairman and Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Comrade Njoku Jerry Ajike, and issued after a meeting with members of the State Executive Council (SEC) in Umuahia, on Tuesday, May 9, the party described the activity of the factional group as a "coup and an act of sabotage aimed at destabilizing the party."

Addressing the media on behalf of the party, Comrade Ajike maintained that Mr Ceekay Igara remains the state chairman of the party and Abia state Labour Party, are loyal to the NWC led by the National Chairman of the party, Barrister Julius Abure.

[caption id="attachment_163715" align="alignnone" width="798"] Abia State Working Committee of the Labour Party meeting on Tuesday, May 9.[/caption]

"We are aware that invitation were issued by suspended and expelled members of the party to individuals outside the constituted leadership of the party at all levels, calling for a NEC meeting somewhere in Bauchi State and, unfortunately unsuspecting members of the public including certain candidates of the party fell victims and are now suffering the consequences of their ignorance.

"The members of Abia State Labour Party are using this medium to declare and affirm that Hon. Ceekay Igara remains the State Chairman of the Party and we hereby affirm and assert our loyalty and support to the National Working Committee led by the lawfully recognized National Chairman of the party in the person of Barrister Julius Abure." the communique read in part.

The party declared the decision of the Apapa led faction after the Bauchi meeting, null and void, maintaining that Mr Eragbe Anselem former youth leader of the party remains expelled.

"In respect of this, we hereby declare all decision made and published by the Lamidi Apapa factional group in Bauchi State, Null and Void and of no effect".

For the benefit of doubt Mr. Eragbe Anselem has been expelled from the party for gross misconduct and do not have any right whatsoever to be issuing any invitations on behalf of the party, and it will be very unfortunate he chooses to engage in a pig fight with the party that has made him whatsoever he is today" Abia State Labour Party stated.

Njoku called on the general public to be cautious and wary of the kind of persons they associate with in the name of Labour Party, adding that;

"Mr. Eragbe Anselem was the former National Youth Leader of the party; he was suspended for activities bothering on fraudulent behavior and finally expelled for gross misconduct alongside Mr. Abayomi Arabambi, the former National Publicity Secretary of the party and others. Rather than show remorse for the sake of the party they claim to have built over the years and seek constitutional avenues to resolve their expulsion, they resorted to vindictive mud fight and have found a safe abode with the enemies of the Nigerian electorates bent on pushing Nigeria back to the status quo of fraud and criminality. No sane party man or woman would tolerate such divisive and unpatriotic behavior against his party.

Speaking further, Njoku stated that the groups actions have affirmed the allegation that they are being sponsored by forces bent on distracting Labour Party from its main focus of taking back its stolen mandate through the court.

"On the 1st of May, Mr. Eragbe Anselem set up a Whatsapp group where he began to send invitations to unsuspecting or naïve members of the party including those who has left the party for other parties before the emergence of Mr. Peter Obi and Alex Otti, inviting them for a purported NEC meeting in Bauchi State and making promises of welfares from Abuja to Bauchi.

"Mr. Anselem knows virtually all the current State Chairmen of the party as a former national executive, however, he avoided them and began to send invitations to ex-Chairmen who have left the party, he began to add unsuspecting candidates in the just concluded national elections into the forum to woo them over as ignorant participants in their crime against the party.

"What other evidence do we need to be convinced that Mr. Lamidi Apapa, Anselem Eragbe and others, are bent on distracting the party and causing confusion to their advantage of greed and selfishness" Njoku queried.

"For the avoidance of doubt, it is obvious that the main motive behind this shenanigans is to create a parallel structure at the national level then use it to destabilize the party and scuttle the weighty petition the party and its presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi has instituted against the criminal manipulation of the people's result by INEC and APC" he added.

The Abia Labour Party insisted that Nigerians gave their mandate to it's presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi which they accused INEC and the ruling APC of thwarting and instigating some members of the party to work against the 'recovery of the stolen mandate'.

"let me make it clear that the victory of the 2023 Presidential elections belongs to Nigerians and they have entrusted that vote to Mr. Peter Obi of Labour Party.

"INEC and the APC is aware of that and have found ready-made allies in the person of Eragbe Anselem and co, to engage in this criminality against the Nigerian people, unfortunately they're bound to fail" he added.

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