The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday disowned the Labour Party (LP) Wednesday’s convention held in Nnewi, Anambra.
It comes a day after the party’s ‘Board of Trustees’ (BoT) announced its takeover.
In Enugu, six LP lawmakers announced their defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing divisions and internal wrangling.
The LP returned Julius Abure as National Chairman, and some national officers were also returned.
But, the ‘BoT’, in a statement by its Chairman Sylvester Ejiofor following the convention, said the takeover followed the “expiration of the tenure of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party led by Abure.”
The ‘BoT’ said it was taking over to avoid a leadership vacuum, but LP yesterday said it was unaware of the body’s existence.
In response, the LP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said it was unaware of its existence.
It said: “The Labour Party on Wednesday successfully conducted its national convention in Nnewi Anambra state and Julius Abure was elected unanimously and overwhelmingly by over 350 delegates that were in attendance.
“The attendant list includes the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti who was represented by Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu, the Deputy Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, George Ozodinobi who led over 10 members of the National Assembly, the entire members of the Abia State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Emmanuel Emeruwa, the Deputy Minority Leader of Imo state House of Assembly, Clinton Amadi led other of his colleagues in the Imo State House of Assembly, other members of the state assembly from Enugu, the entire commissioners and top government officials from Abia, among others.
“Despite this huge success, it came to the leadership of the party as a huge surprise of a statement trending in the social media purportedly from one Comrade S. O. Z Ejiofor on behalf of the BoT of the party claiming that he has taken over the leadership of the party.
“Amusing as that will sound, but with the greatest respect to the former leader of the party, we sympathise with the Comrade who has since left the political scene more than a decade ago only to be energised, briefed, and drafted into this unnecessary tussle by the disgruntled elements in the NLC.
“First, ever since Ejiofor stepped down as the first National Chairman of the LP over two decades ago, he has neither attended any meeting nor played any noticeable role as a member of the party.
“He is not even known in his ward and has not paid a single dime as membership dues which qualifies him as a member.
“It is surprising therefore that after he was ‘visited’ by some leaders of NLC, he suddenly woke up from his slumber.
“The point here is that the LP is not aware of the existence of any Board of Trustees.
“NLC has continued to propose for the reconstitution of the BoT as well as the convocation of the National Convention.
“Over 90 per cent of persons being suggested to form membership of the proposed BoT have since left the party to join other political parties.
“Some even contested various political positions on the platform of other political parties while some others featured prominently in the presidential campaigns of the other political parties even when LP equally featured a candidate in the 2023 general election.
“This is what desperation in the ranks of the NLC can cause. Why not let the man enjoy his retirement? Why drag him into your mess? Let Comrade Ejiofor show evidence of one meeting he convened in the last decade of his so-called BoT.”
The party insisted that it remained different from its founder.
