LP: Abia Gov, Otti Applauds Court Judgment Affirming Nenadi-Usman’s Leadership

Governor Alex Otti of Abia state has welcome the federal high court, Abuja’s judgment affirming the Nenadi Usman-led leadership of the Labour Party, LP. The governor said the judgment will restore sanity and bring peace to the embattled opposition party.

Otti, is the only LP state governor in the country.

The governor’s remark was contained in a statement signed on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, describing the judgment as heart-warming and timely and an opportunity for the leadership to rejuvenate the party after a protracted tussle.

He expressed confidence that the Usman-led Caretaker Committee now has another chance to re-organise the party to make it solid to fulfil the expectations of its members and Nigerians as formidable political party in the country.

The governor also urged the leadership to ensure that everybody is carried along  “in line with the constitution and ideals of the party.”

“This victory is both heartwarming and timely as it provides us with the opportunity of ensuring that peace, order and unity return to the party, while ensuring reorganization and rejuvenation of the party to become not just a truly democratic platform that meets the high expectations of its members, but a formidable political party poised to achieve electoral victories and deliver good governance at all levels,” the statement read on part.

While delivering its judgment on the leadership tussle between the Julius Abure-led and Nenadi-Usman factions on Wednesday, Peter Lifu, said Abure was no longer the National Chairman of the party, saying his tenure has expired. The judge recognised the Usman-led Caretaker Committee, citing an earlier Supreme Court judgment on the issue.

The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Ms Usman-led caretaker committee as “the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party,” pending the party’s national convention.

Justice Lifu also held that evidence before the court showed Mr Abure’s tenure as national chairman had elapsed.

The ruling followed a suit filed by Ms Usman, suing  Abure, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), INEC and others as defendants.

While dismissing Abure’s claim that the matter was an internal party issue that was not justiciable, the judge said the establishment of the LP caretaker committee was “a necessity” arising from the Supreme Court order.