The Labour Party has said its presidential ticket for the 2027 election is no longer reserved for its former candidate, Peter Obi.
The party also ruled out an automatic second-term ticket for the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, on the party’s platform, saying that the seat will be open to other aspirants.
The national chairman of the party, Julius Abure disclosed this during a press briefing after the party’s National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja on Monday.
The party had, at its national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State adopted Obi as its sole candidate for the office in the next poll.
It also ceded the second term ticket to Otti for the next Abia State governorship election.
But Abure said the 2027 presidential ticket was now open to all qualified Nigerians.
He said: “NEC in session also reviewed the decision of the National Convention to reserve its Presidential and Governorship tickets for Peter Gregory Obi and Alex Otti, respectively.
“Consequently, all party tickets from the Presidency to the House of Assemblies are open to all qualified Nigerians.”
The chairman added that the Abia governor does not have the power to convene a stakeholders’ meeting that produced a caretaker committee chaired by a former minister of finance, Senator Nenadi Usman.
The embattled national chairman said the meeting contravened the provisions of Section 82 (1) (2) (a) of the Electoral Act 2022.
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He described the Abia meeting as an “illegality and a nullity,” disassociating the party from the outcome.
Abure maintained there was no vacuum in the leadership of the party, urging the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu “to stop aiding and abetting” the Abia State governor against the party.
He noted that the Governor’s position on the tenure of the National Working Committee (NWC) was informed by the INEC Chairman’s insistence that the Committee’s time in office had expired.
He added: “The NEC in session noted that the Governor of Abia State, His Excellency Alex Otti, who convened the meeting, did not have the power within the Party’s Constitution as provided in Article 14 (4) (B) gives the power to call meetings only to the National Secretary with the approval of the National chairman.
“NEC in session further reiterates that the Governor of Abia State does not even have the power to call his Ward Executive meeting without the approval and the consent of his Ward Chairman.
“The meeting contravenes the provisions of Section 82 (1) (2) (a) of the Electoral Act 2022, which provides as follows: 82 (1) Every registered political party shall give the Commission at least 21 days’ notice of any Convention, Congress, Conference or meeting convened for the purpose of ‘merger’ and electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified under this act.”
Speaking further, Abure said no governor could harass them out of office, adding that such a person cannot dissolve the National Working Committee, dissolve state councils, or dissolve local government councils.
He said: “No governor that we gave a ticket can harass us out of office; no governor, no matter how highly placed, will come and with a fiat, dissolve the NWC, dissolve state councils, or dissolve LG councils; even a military government would not do that. The mandate given to me and my team as leaders of the Labour Party at the convention of the party held on the 27th day of March 2024, will be defended.
“We are at a critical moment in the life of our party. Recent events have shown that those who should stand with us in the fight for a better restructured, organized and united party have chosen a different path.
“A path not of unity, but of division. I speak, of course, of the illegal gathering that took place in Abia State, an attempt to create a rift within our party, led by none other than His Excellency Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti. This meeting, held without the authority or consent of the National Executive Council, sought to install a so-called ‘new leadership.’
“Let me be clear: this action was not just illegal. It was a betrayal of everything the Labour Party stands for. A reward for loyalty with ingratitude, a reward for support with insubordination.”
He added that the party has set up a disciplinary committee to discipline members of the party who participated in the stakeholders meeting called by Otti.
Abure said the party was not involved in the handling of finances for the presidential campaign in 2023.
He added: “The signatories to these accounts were Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo. They were equally responsible for the payment of Polling Unit Agents.
“Consequently, it is mischievous for any person to accuse me and the Party of mismanagement of these funds. At no time did the Party or its officials engage in any financial transactions related to the presidential campaign.
“It will be safe for me at this point to conclude that I and my colleagues elected in the Convention of our Party held on the 27th day of March 2024 will defend the mandate given to us by Members of this Party. no amount of intimidation or harassment will make us surrender this leadership.
“Together, we will continue to build this party into a formidable force, one that truly represents the interests of all Nigerians. The beautiful ones are not yet born, but their birth is near, and it will be through the Labour Party that they will rise to lead this great nation.”
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