The Labour Party (LP) has insisted that Governor Alex Otti and former presidential candidate Peter Obi’s interim committee is not legal.
This was said by Obiora Ifoh, the national publicity secretary for LP, in a Thursday-published interview with Punch.
He clarified that Obi and Otti were misinformed and said that the party’s constitution, the federal constitution, and election laws are not in compliance with the appointment of Nenadi Usman as the head of the caretaker committee. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
“As you are well aware, illegality gave rise to the committee. Furthermore, it is not an outcome of the electoral legislation or the Nigerian Constitution, which is why we do not recognize it. Furthermore, the Labour Party Constitution did not produce it. It is merely a collection of leaders and members of the party who believe they should be given more power within the party.
There was no legal basis for what they did. As a result, it is illegal and unrecognizable, and we don’t deal with that group or whatever name they go by,” he declared.
Ifoh, however, disregarded any notion of punishing Governor Otti and Peter Obi, stating that they are party leaders who were only duped and will eventually return to the Labour Party’s fold.
“They are the party’s leaders, and we think highly of them. Before making that choice, we are positive they were misinformed. They’ll quickly turn around and head back to the party’s central group.
The LP spokesman called Obi and Otti stars and leaders of the party, emphatically ruling out any kind of punishment for them.
“No, there won’t be any sanction on those leaders because, as I told you earlier, they were misinformed and that does not attract any punitive action. They are our leaders and stars.
“We think it is left for us to put them through, guide them and make them to see reasons on why they should retrace their steps. We need everyone in the party. We are not going to chase away anybody. That is why our doors are wide open for people who want to stay.
“The issue we have with the Labour Party is that the party has its programme and ideology. The ideology is for people to have the same like-mind; people who will think Nigeria and those at the lower cadre first. We are not a bourgeoisie party that is cult-like. It is a party that runs an open-door policy. That is why those leaders (Obi and Otti) are very important to us. We are not going to play with them or issue any sanction whatsoever.”
