Peter Obi: Labour Party denies reports of leadership crisis

Against the backdrop of a fresh suit challenging its leadership, Nigeria’s social democratic political movement, Labour Party (LP) has denied that factions exist within its leadership.

The party, via its Twitter handle on Friday, described the faction as a creation of propaganda.

The tweet reads: “Disregard any news flying around about a faction in our great party. It can only be coming from the propaganda machinery of those who have held our nation down. Our @NgLabour is very determined to take back the country for the common citizens.”

Recall that a federal high court in Abuja had ordered that LP and some of its executives be served with a fresh suit challenging the party’s leadership.

The presiding judge, Inyang Ekwo, had on Monday, given the order, while ruling on an ex parte motion filed by Calistus Okafor, a former deputy national chairman of the party.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1636/2021, Okafor, who is a factional leader of the party, is challenging the legality of the leadership of Julius Abure and Akingbade Oyelakin.

Okafor had claimed that Abure and Oyelakin represent persons wrongfully and unlawfully parading themselves as members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the LP.

Meanwhile, the development is coming after Peter Obi, had emerged as the presidential flag bearer of the party, following his resignation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership.

Obi emerged presidential candidate of the LP after three other aspirants stepped down for him.

The presidential aspirants that stepped down for Obi are former presidential adviser and political economist, Pat Utomi, Faduri Joseph and Olubusola Emmanuel-Tella.  (Vanguard)