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•Dissolves Rivers exco over endorsement of PDP candidate
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja and Tony John, Port Harcourt
Labour Party (LP) has denied instructing any of its chapters to liaise, endorse or support candidates of other political parties other than its own in Saturday’s governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
Its National Chairman, Julius Abure, in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, assured that the party is leaving nothing to chance in ensuring its candidates not only participate, but win at the ballot.
He encouraged all who believe in LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi and the philosophy of the party not to be deterred, but to troop out en-masse and vote for candidates of the party across all states of the country.
“This call becomes necessary given reports from some political opportunists from other political platforms, claiming that they have reached an agreement with Obidients and LP supporters to cast their ballots for them in this Saturday’s polls. We want to state categorically and unequivocally that the National Secretariat of LP has not given any instructions for any chapter of the party to liaise or support any candidate except LP candidates in this Saturday’s polls. Our members should not only go out and vote, but follow the process to a conclusive end as provided by the Law. Labour Party is not in any alliance with any political party in the run-up to this Saturday’s polls,” Abure said.
The statement came against the backdrop of the adoption of governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Siminialayi Fubara, barely 24 hours after LP’s governorship candidate,Mrs. Beatrice Itubo had told Daily Sun that she remained the authentic candidate of the party for the election.
State chairman of LP, Dienye Pepple, announced the adoption of Fubara in a 14-point communique, in Port Harcourt.
He said the decision was taken after due consultation with the 23 local government areas chairmen, who chose to support a credible candidate irrespective of party affiliation.
It reaction, National Working Committee (NWC) of LP dissolved the Rivers State Executive Council citing anti-party activities and loss of confidence in the ability of the State Executive Council led by Deinye Pepple to lead the campaign for the gubernatorial and state Houses of Assembly elections on March 11.
Abure in a statement, yesterday, said: “The national working committee has dissolved the Labour Party State Executive Council of Rivers State with immediate effect, for gross anti-party activities and corruption in the management of Labour Party funds.
“The NWC arising from an emergency meeting today in Abuja believes that it is in the interest of Labour Party and the Obidient movement in Rivers State that those who were at the helm of affairs in Rivers State when our presidential mandate was openly stolen should step aside until full investigation on what happened on that day is completed.
“The National Working Committee urges all Obidients in Rivers State to disregard every comment made by the disgraced State Chairman of the Labour Party, Deinye Pepple, on the election of March 11 and reiterates the full backing of the Labour Party on the candidacy of Beatrice Itubo as the next Governor of Rivers State.”
The NWC, therefore, enjoins all Obidients to come out massively on March 11 to vote for Beatrice Itubo of LP.
