By Chuks Collins, Awka
THE festering leadership crisis in the Labour Party (LP) may have gone a notch higher with the recent meeting of a faction of its Anambra State chapter in Awka.
The Convener and Acting State Chairman, Chief Peter Okoye, in his remarks, told the members, who were original foundation members of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the state, that they were not against Mr. Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in the February 25, 2023 general election.
Okoye stated that the factional national leader, Alhaji Lamidi Apapa, was only fighting to restore sanity, rule of law and party supremacy in LP.
He said they have been in the party for nearly two decades; hence “can no longer sit by and watch the National Chairman, Mr. Julius Abure, and others destroy the party.”
Okoye reiterated the accusations against the ex-top party officials accusing the Treasurer, Secretary and the National Organising Secretary of collecting huge sums of money running into hundreds of millions to subvert the governorship ticket of the party in Ebonyi State.
He stated that similar attempts were made in other positions in most other states, adding: “So, it was to salvage the image of the party that the recent meeting in Bauchi was organised, where Abure and some officials were removed.”
Okoye, therefore, urged the members to “go now into the 21 local government areas of the state and 326 wards to mobilise members for support, as we mean well…”
Speaking to journalists shortly after the meeting, Okoye revealed that the leadership would soon embark on ward tours, assuring that it were committed to the actualisation and recovery of Obi’s mandate at the presidential election petitions tribunal soon.
He acknowledged warning by LP’s “former state chairman,” Ugochukwu Emeh, to members to stay away from the Apapa group, but expressed satisfaction with seizable turnout at the meeting.
Emeh, in a reaction, accused Apapa and his supporters of working hands-in-gloves with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to cause confusion and destabilise LP.
He noted: “But they have failed and will continue to fail shamefully. We cannot join issues with some political turncoat rabble rousers and jobbers who are not members of LP, but pollutants.”
