By Seyi Babalola
Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has accused the leadership of Labour Party (LP) of mismanaging the ongoing leadership crisis in the party, urging the embattled national chairman of the party, Barr Julius Abure to resign now that the ovation is loudest.
The CNPP stated this while reacting to the newest twists to the leadership tussle in the party.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade James Ezema, the umbrella body of all registered political parties and political associations in the country equally hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for resisting what it described as obvious pressure to use its officials to endorse the outcome of the recent contentious fractional national convention of the party.
“In view of the obvious lack of internal democracy in most of the political parties in Nigeria, INEC has done well for the sake of advancing our democracy by resisting obvious pressure to use its officials to endorse the outcome of the recent contentious national convention organised by a faction of the party.
“Therefore, we call on Barrister Julius Abure to make himself the hero in the crisis by tendering his immediate resignation as the National Chairman of the party.
“Nigeria is supposed to be a liberal democracy, where inclusive representation, rule of law, and protection of the rights and liberties of individuals within the political parties must be encouraged by all democrats and democratic institutions.
“It was against this backdrop of the lack of inclusivity that characterised the build up to the convention held in Anambra State, making it contrary to the Federal High Court’s judgment of Friday, July 23, 2021, which ordered parties in the Labour Party leadership tussle “to maintain status quo ante bellum in order not to disturb the res of the matter pending further order of the court.”
“In the same vein, in the judgment of the Federal High Court in Suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/866/2014 between Labour Party and 3 Ors. vs. Com. Salisu Muhammed, the court unequivocally declared Labour Party as an institutional political party founded, promoted, and registered by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on behalf of the Nigerian Workers.
“In this light, the Julius Abure faction of the party misfired by holding the purported national convention of the Labour Party when it fell short of “an expansive and inclusive” exercise as ordered in a widely publicised subsisting court order.
“Leaving out NLC and other critical stakeholders in its consultations ahead of the convention was a miscalculated move as we recall that the former national chairman of Labour Party, High Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, on leaving office, submitted the Labour Party’s certificate of registration to the union in recognition of Labour Party as an institutional political party founded, promoted, and registered by the NLC.
“For us, the current leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party is needless and avoidable if basic ingredients of democracy, including inclusivity, justice, and accountability, were observed” , the CNPP stated.
