Labour Party(LP) has warned the party’s presidential candidate candidate in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, and Governor of Abia of Abia State, Alex Oti, to immediately suspend what it termed, “unconstitutional, illegal clandestine Labour party extended stakeholders /National Executive Council NEC meeting of Labour party” being convened and signed by Mr Peter Obi as National Chairman and Governor Alex Oti as National Secretary.
The Daily Crucible reports that Peter Obi, and Dr. Alex Otti, its sole governor, had on August 29, scheduled an extended stakeholders meeting of the party for September 4.
The planned meeting will take place at the Banquet Hall, Government House in Umuahia, Abia State, and is expected to include party chieftains, such as the LP Chairman Julius Abure and four other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), according to the notice jointly signed by Obi and Otti.
The meeting notice published in a national newspaper, also invited other stakeholders such as the party’s former vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, serving and former Senators and House of Representatives members of the party, and representatives from the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), who are members of the National Executive Council of the party.
The list also includes the Deputy Governor of Abia State, governors candidates from Edo and Ondo states, and ex – governorship candidates from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as invitees.
But some of the party’s National leaders, it was learnt, were not aware of any meeting.
Reacting to the development, LP described the action of Obi and Otti as a usurpation and impersonation of the office of its National Chairman, Barr. Julius Abure and National Secretary, Alh.Farouk Umar Ibrahim and issued 72 hours ultimatum to the Abia Governor and ex – Governor of Anambra State to suspend the planned illegal meeting.
In a release on Saturday, August 31st by Dr Abayomi Arabambi, the National Publicity Secretary, and made available to The Daily Crucible, the Labour Party urged the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, to launch an investigation into the alleged involvement of Obi and Governor Oti in the “unconstitutional and criminal impersonation of the office of Labour party National Chairman and National Secretary.”
The statement in full:
(1) The attention of leadership of Labour party National Working Committee under the National Chairman Barrister Julius Abure and National Secretary Alh Farouk Umar Ibrahim has been drawn to a purported unconstitutional, illegal Clandestine Labour party extended stakeholders /National Executive Council NEC meeting of Labour party convene and signed by Mr Peter Obi as National Chairman and Governor Alex Oti as National Secretary
(2) Labour party is therefore calling on the Inspector General Of Police to launch a massive investigation against the duo of Mr Peter Obi and Gov Alex Oti for their unconstitutional involvement in criminal impersonation of the office of Labour party National Chairman and National Secretary despite their long political standings and Education
(3) Labour party took cognitive knowledge of Section 484 of the Criminal Code Act in Nigeria which defines impersonation as: any person who, with intent to defraud any person, falsely represents himself to be some other person, living or dead, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.
(4)Labour party hereby as a matter of urgency urges the duo of Mr Peter Obi and Gov Alex Oti to always get themselves aquainted with the constitution of our party before taking decisions that is not only ultra vires, irresponsible, unconstitutional but absolutely unpardonable and a national disgrace
(5).In Article 14 (1a) (1b) (1c) of Labour party constitution clearly states the constitutional functions of the National Chairman Barrister Julius Abure as follows
(1a)
Shall give leadership to the Party and preside over all meetings of the National Convention, National Executive Council and the National Working Committee of the Party.
(1b)
Shall be the Accounting Officer of the Party and shall promote and defend the name, policies and programmes of the party.
(1c)
Shall direct the due execution of the programmes of the Party and shall have powers to delegate his duties, give lawful directives to all officers, agencies, officials and members at all levels of the Party.
(6).The same Labour party constitution in Article 14 (4a)(4b) and (4c) is describes the power vested in the National Secretary of our great party Alh Farouk Umar Ibrahim as follows:
(4a)
Shall supervise the day-to day activities of the Party at the National Secretariat and shall be the principal administrative officer of the Party in consultation with the National Chairman.
(4b)
Shall cause to be issued notices of meetings of the National Convention, National Executive Council, the National working Committee in consultation with and approval of the National Chairman.
(4c)
Shall cause to be kept all records and books of proceedings of the National Convention, National Executive Council Committee.
(7) Lastly it is expedient from the above section of our party Constitution that Mr Peter Obi and Gov Alex Oti are impersonators that is impersonating the National Chairman Barrister Julius Abure and National Secretary Alh Farouk Umar Ibrahim with the intent to falsely represent them and attempt to commit fraud
(8)Labour party hereby issues a 72 hours ultimatum to the duo of Mr Peter Obi and Gov Alex Oti to immediately put the unconstitutional meeting on hold else our party shall immediately write a formal petition to the Inspector General Of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Services for fraud , impersonation and conduct likely to cause breech of peace in Nigeria
(9)You are hereby directed to complies with this lawful warning and directives
Signed
Dr Abayomi Arabambi
Most Peaceful Political Personality of the year 2023
National Publicity Secretary
31st August 2024
