The Labour Party in Abia State has publicly disowned a committee established by the Julius Abure faction to oversee the upcoming local government elections scheduled for November 2, 2024. The Abure faction had set up a screening committee led by former state chairman Hon. Ceekay Igara, with Rev. Andrew Ohiagba, the state secretary, as one of its members.
Igara had urged party members from all three senatorial zones of the state to collect their nomination and expression of interest forms from the party’s zonal offices. However, Emmanuel Oti, the state chairman of the Labour Party, dismissed the committee and cautioned the public against engaging with anyone outside his leadership.
In a statement, Oti emphasized that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) no longer recognizes Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party, stating that his tenure, along with that of his executive committee, has expired. He further noted that a national caretaker committee, chaired by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, has been established to manage party affairs, including the conduct of primaries for the council elections.
Oti’s statement read: “The attention of the Labour Party, Abia State Chapter has been drawn to a radio announcement issued by the former Chairman of the Labour Party in the state, Mr. Ceekay Igara, directing members of the public on where to purchase nomination forms for the party’s primaries ahead of the forthcoming local government election in the state. The public is hereby enjoined to disregard the unauthorized and misleading announcement, because Mr. Igara’s tenure had expired alongside other members of the state and national working committees, which prompted INEC to cease recognizing them.”
He urged party members to only follow directives from the national caretaker committee, warning that any contrary statements should be viewed as impersonation and reported to the appropriate authorities. Oti reassured the public that the Labour Party in Abia State is committed to conducting a responsible, orderly, and peaceful selection process for candidates, aiming to avoid any exploitation of party members.
Rev. Andrew Ohiagba, in a subsequent interview, echoed Oti’s sentiments, rejecting the legitimacy of the screening committee and urging party faithful to disregard its authority.