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The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in 2023, Mr. Peter Obi, on Wednesday, initiated peace and called for calmness among the party faithful.
His call followed Tuesday’s invasion and disruption of the party headquarters by members of the National Transition Committee set up to take over the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),
The committee headed by a former President of the NLC, Abdulwaheed Omar, was put in place by the NLC Political Commission to reposition the Labour Party.
The committee was inaugurated two months after the congress voided the re-election of LP National Chairman, Julius Abure, and members of the National Working Committee.
Among other things, the new caretaker committee was expected to set up 13 sub-committees to oversee the administration of the LP.
On Tuesday, Omar and the committee members, accompanied by scores of NLC supporters, stormed the headquarters of the Labour Party in Abuja demanding Abure’s resignation.
The protest and threats to bring down the gates of the secretariat disrupted an ongoing meeting of the NWC and the party’s presidential candidate.
Addressing the protester, Obi said, there was no need for the party's internal crisis, adding that they were all working for a united goal.
He said, “Before we learnt that you people were outside, I already told them (NWC) that my first three assignments are reconciliation, reconciliation and reconciliation. It is what I do every day, even in our families. When we quarrel with our wives and children, we reconcile. Even today during the meeting, I made one instance, which is that I have come to start reconciling the family.
“So these people here (pointing at the demonstrators) are members of the family, whom we must reconcile with. We will sit around a table and decide the future of our party. I am ready for a reconciliation meeting any day you choose, Mr. Chairman. I like what happened here today. It means we have just started the reconciliation process and what we achieved today was so much.”
Obi also spoke on the reconciliation of Abure and the Lamidi Apapa faction, stressing that the two camps came together for the greater good of the party.
The LP national leader stated: “Let me tell you one thing, their reconciliation is all about our party and I can assure you that everyone must reconcile with each other. When we come together, we will make decisions as a family.
“The party has a constitution and a National Executive Council, and everyone, including myself and Governor Otti, will be there to decide.
“Today marks the beginning of takeover and total control of the regional, state, LGA and ward secretariats of the LP all over Nigeria. Consequent upon this, the NTC at this moment reiterates a clear, unequivocal statement of the expiration of the last lifeline clutched by the immediate past NWC of the Labour Party and its suspended erstwhile National Chairman, Mr Julius Abure.
“The era of nomination forms for the highest bidder, forgery of party documents, embezzlement of party funds, handpicking of bootlickers into party elective positions, crass indifference to party building, lip service to opposition politics and collusion with establishment and opponent political parties are over."
