•I’ll not give up until victory achieved –Obi

By Chinelo Obogo and Adanna Nnamani, Abuja 

National Executive Council (NEC) of Labour Party (LP) has suspended some members of its National Working Committee (NWC), including factional National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa as well as Salem Lawal, Prince Favour Reuben, Gbenga Daramola, Samuel Akingbade, and Mohammed Akali for alleged anti-party activities.

It, however, expelled the National Youth Leader, Ansalem Eragbe and Acting Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, for the same offence.

In a communique, yesterday, the party’s NEC said it took the decision following recommendations after  examining the activities of affected members.

The NEC also constituted a disciplinary committee to try other erring members and make recommendations to the next NEC. The committee comprises Ladi Iliya, Rotimi Adekunle, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, Yunusa Tanko, and Chief Tony Ezeagwu.

In attendance at the NEC meeting which held in Asaba, Delta State, yesterday, were the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Valentine Ozigbo, Senator Victor Umeh, members-elect of the National Assembly, representatives from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Emma Ugboaja and General Secretary of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nuhu Abba Toro.

The suspension of Apapa comes weeks after Justice Hamza Muazu of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), issued an order temporarily restraining Mr. Julius Abure from parading himself as National Chairman of the party.

Other members of the national executive affected by the court judgment were the party’s National Secretary, Farouk Ibrahim; National Organising Secretary, Oluchi Opara and National Treasurer, Clement Ojukwu.

The resolution signed by LP’s Deputy National Chairman, Ladi Iliya and acting National Youth Leader, Prince Kennedy Ohanotu, condemned the use of thugs, ballot snatching, and writing of results witnessed during the 2023 general elections in collation centre as dangerous trend in the democratic process.

The NEC noted that this trend might slide the country into a civilian dictatorship, which it deemed worse than a military dictatorship.

In the resolution, the NEC called on the judiciary to do the right thing and promote acts that enhance democracy, fundamental freedom, the rule of law, and the doctrine of separation of powers.

LP’s NEC also sympathised with Nigerians who have continued to wallow in what it calld leadership-inflicted poverty, hunger, unemployment, insecurity, poor infrastructure, and underdevelopment and reassured them that a Labour Party government would change these narratives.

In line with its powers, the NEC proceeded to fill several vacant positions and extended the tenure of the current NWC for 12 months, citing the need to remain focused and reorganise the party.

 Accordingly, Ahanotu is to serve as acting national youth leader; Mr Obiorah Ifoh, acting national publicity secretary; Edun Kehinde, acting national legal adviser; Rotimi Adekunle, acting national deputy secretary; and Anthony Ezeagwu, acting national vice chairman (South South).

A publicity committee was also set up with Dr Yunusa Tanko as the head and Kenneth Okonkwo as a member.

Meanwhile, presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has said he will not give up on his quest for a new Nigeria until victory is achieved. 

He called on Nigerians not to be deterred but remain calm and steadfast in their journey of reclaiming their mandate of a New Nigeria.

The LP standard bearer, who spoke, yesterday, at the National Executive Council (NEC) of LP in Asaba, Delta State, said he will never give up on the journey until victory is achieved.

He said he never expected the journey to New Nigeria to be an easy one, asserting that the forces who had, over the years, lived off the old order, were bound to fight back, as is being experienced now.

Underscoring the determination of the group involved in the project to resist intimidation or harassment of any kind and from any quarter, Obi said: “If they come at us through land, air, and sea, we will respond to them through land, air, and sea, but we will remain law abiding and will never give up on the nation.

“We are on the right path, and we will remain committed to the course.”