Edo State, Nigeria – September 19, 2024
As the Edo State governorship election draws near, the Labour Party (LP) held its final mega campaign rally on Wednesday, with notable party leaders including Peter Obi, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, Nenadi Usman, and Aisha Yesufu rallying support for the party’s candidate, Olumide Akpata. However, conspicuously absent from the event were embattled National Chairman Julius Abure and members of his disputed National Working Committee (NWC).
The absence comes amidst an escalating internal party crisis. On the same day as the rally, Abure’s faction held a press conference in Abuja, where the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, accused Peter Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, of betrayal. The accusations stem from the appointment of a caretaker committee led by Nenadi Usman to oversee party affairs, a move Abure’s camp claims was orchestrated by Obi and Otti in collusion with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ifoh expressed deep disappointment over the actions of Obi and Otti, criticizing their alleged alignment with INEC. “The party is miffed by the actions of our leaders, including our former presidential candidate and our only governor, who should be defending the party at this trying moment. Instead, they are dancing ‘Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo’ with the electoral umpire,” Ifoh said, referencing a viral folk song that has become symbolic of betrayal.
Ifoh lamented that the party leadership had supported Obi and Otti through the 2023 general election but now felt abandoned in a time of internal strife. “The same LP leadership stood by our governorship candidate in Abia, weathering political and judicial storms to secure victory. Today, these leaders are dancing with us. What a shame, what a betrayal,” he added.
The infighting comes just a week after the Labour Party filed a lawsuit against INEC, attempting to block the commission from recognizing the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee. INEC has since filed a counter-affidavit, stating that the tenure of Abure’s leadership has expired, justifying the caretaker committee’s legitimacy. However, Ifoh dismissed the committee as an “illegal arrangement” and accused INEC of deliberately destabilizing the party.
Despite the internal struggles, the Labour Party remains focused on the upcoming election. Olumide Akpata, the party’s governorship candidate, continues to receive support from key figures within the party, even as the battle for control over the Labour Party leadership intensifies.
With the Edo governorship election slated for Saturday, September 21, all eyes are on the Labour Party as it navigates both external competition and internal discord.
