2 months ago
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The Labour Party factional national chairman, Julius Abure, has said Peter Obu and Governor Alex Otti betrayed the party that fought for them.
Julius Abure also stated that the issue of campaign fund mismanagement should be directed to the former directors of Obi/Datti Campaign Council in the 2023 election, Doyin Okupe and Akin Oshuntokun who were in charge of the campaign funds.
Abure said this while addressing his National Working Committee at a meeting, in Abuja, on Monday.
“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 said.
Abure stated that the Abis State Governor, Alex Otti, made wrong accusations against him. He explained that there was no Supreme Court ruling against him.
He also stated that issues concerning party agents for the Edo governorship election are in the hands of the party’s candidate, Olumide Akpata.
“I have watched with astonishment a viral video where the Governor of Abia State Dr. Alex Otti stated that he was told by INEC that Edo and Ondo elections for Labour Party are in jeopardy due to my mismanagement of uploading polling unit agents.
“Following the controversies with the Edo Guber Candidate, the access code for the uploading of polling unit agents was handed over to Barrister Olumide Akpata to enable him upload his polling unit agents.
“I was not and the Party was never involved in the uploading of polling unit agents for Edo Election. The access code for uploading polling unit agents has equally been handed over by INEC to the Ondo Guber candidate.
“In the same video, Dr Alex Otti also referred to the flouting of a Supreme Court judgment which according to him may affect our Party Candidates in 2027. I am not aware of such Supreme Court judgment. I challenge him to make available to the public the judgment,” he added.
Speaking on the allegation of mismanaging the 2023 campaign funds, Abure disassociated himself from the campaign funds.
He continued, “I must seize this opportunity to make some clarifications on a few issues. I and the Party have been accused of being responsible for Peter Obi’s failure in the 2023 general election. They have stated that the campaign, Election donations, and funds for the payment of agents were mismanaged by the Party, hence Peter Obi failed in the Election.
“Let me make it categorically clear that Campaign funds were disbursed, administered in the Southern States by the leadership of Doyin Okupe, and Secondly under the control of Akin Oshuntokun while the funding of the Campaign for the 19 Northern States was handled by the Vice Presidential Candidate of the Party Datti Baba-Ahmed. The funding of the election was done by Peter Obi himself.
“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.”
