Kenneth Okonkwo, the former spokesperson for the Obi/Datti Campaign Organization, has pointed a finger at Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party, for the ongoing turmoil within the party. Okonkwo accused Abure of transforming the Labour Party into a personal enterprise.
He lamented that there are currently no elected officials at the ward, local government, or state levels, as Abure has been unconstitutionally appointing party leaders across Nigeria.
Okonkwo further asserted that despite existing court rulings mandating a comprehensive convention, Abure has disregarded these legal directives. He claimed that Abure and his executive team have effectively monopolized the party, which is meant to advocate for the interests of the public and workers.
In an Interview, Okonkwo stated, “The key stakeholders of the Labour Party went to court and secured a ruling that obliged Abure to organize an all-inclusive convention and inaugurate the Board of Trustees (BOT). To this day, he has not complied with the ruling.”
“He has yet to inaugurate the BOT. INEC, in its generosity, facilitated an agreement between Abure and the Labour Party stakeholders to hold an all-inclusive convention, yet he has chosen to ignore that agreement.”
“Right now in the Labour Party, there aren’t any elected officials at the ward, local government, state, or national levels. Abure appointed every official during his term, which is a disgrace. The Labour Party should not be under the control of a single individual, and it’s regrettable that Abure, the sole controller of the party, is now gone with the end of his tenure.”
“It’s even more ludicrous that Abure, who has flouted court rulings, accuses other law-abiding Labour Party stakeholders of disobeying judicial orders. In legal matters, one must act justly before seeking justice. In his recent statement, Abure admitted that INEC has rejected him, that elected members of the Labour Party have rejected him, and that the primary stakeholders have rejected him. So, who does he believe he can still lead?”
Okonkwo continued, “The notices regarding the convention were flawed because the last notice submitted to INEC was only six days before the event. The Electoral Act requires a 21-day notice, and INEC has set a rule for at least 7 days’ notice for any venue changes to assist parties. Their failure to adhere to notice requirements renders their claimed convention on March 27, 2024, null and void. INEC was absolutely right in dismissing their attempts, and they will remain excluded.”
“Nigerians only learned about the convention through a leaked notice to INEC, with no public announcement made in any media outlet. This alone indicates that Abure had no genuine intention of organizing a convention.”
“Only the members of the Labour Party or their duly elected delegates are legally permitted to vote. If the members were unaware of the convention, then who cast votes? And if there are no elected ward, local government, or state executives in the Labour Party today, where did the elected delegates come from? It’s no surprise that no positions were contested—Abure single-handedly appointed everyone again. Yet these persistent deceivers claim compliance with all regulations.”
