The crisis in the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party heightened during the stakeholders meeting between the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Chairmen of 17 political parties for the state governorship poll in Benin-City, the state capital.

When it was time for introduction, two people presented themselves as the state Chairman of the party.

First to speak, Mrs Elizabeth Ativie, who introduced herself, thus “I am the Right Honourable Elizabeth Uyimwen Ativie. By the grace of God, I am the youngest and the latest chairman in town, the Chairman of the Labour Party, Edo State.”

Rising swiftly to counter her, Mr Kelly Ogbaloi took the microphone, cleared his voice and said, “I am Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi (KSE), Chairman, Labour Party, Edo State.” The participants roared into laughter.

For both of them, however, there was no time for jokes as the issues which their actions threw up aptly captured the state of things in the party in the state.

Speaking with THEWILL in a brief interview, Mr Ogbaloi said, “I am the substantive Chairman of the Labour Party in Edo State. As far as I am concerned, I am not aware of a change of position in Edo State and I will continue to do my work until such a time that people are back to rectitude to do what is right. That was why I was in INEC.”

Explaining further about the embarrassing display at the INEC meeting, he said he heard “in the air”, that Mrs Ativie was appointed by the suspended National Chairman of the Party, Julius Abure, even though he was not formally informed. “But I doubt if he has the legitimacy to make such an appointment after he and his exco had been suspended by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. A party is a corporate entity and such appointments are not made without procedure. That is why I have refrained from making any formal statement of the matter. The party ought to be talking of holding a congress and not appointing a committee, but we agree that congress can be put on hold because it is going to be held in Edo State, which we all need to face.”

Efforts to get Ativie, ex-Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, failed as she could not be reached.

Recall that following the ratification of the suspension of Julius Abure from membership of the Labour Party by the Edo State chapter of the party, the Abdulwaheed Omar-led National Transition Committee (NTC) of the party has advised the suspended national chairman, Julius Abure, to keep off and stay away from the activities of the party in Edo State and elsewhere in the country.

According to the Chairman of the NTC’s sub-committee on Media and Publicity, Comrade Tony Akeni, the committee cautioned Abure and those the NTC referred to as the “Nnewi Gang,” who claim “to have been re-elected to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) at the disputed Nnewi Convention, to keep off the party’s activities in Edo and Ondo States, as well as other parts of the country.”

The NTC had since declared that the national convention orchestrated by Julius Abure at Nnewi by what it described as a “fragment of questionable hangers of Abure”, was “a phantom charade and does not hold any legitimacy whatsoever.”

The NTC stated that Julius Abure had been suspended by the ward executive of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, in Esan North East Local Government Area of the state through a letter dated May 14, 2024, an action which was further ratified by the state executive council in another letter dated May 24, 2024, and signed by the state chapter chairman, Mr. Kelly Ogbaloi, and secretary of the state chapter, Mr. Frederick Akhere.

Both letters were submitted to INEC and the party’s national headquarters on Monday May 27, 2024 by leaders and supporters of the party who stormed the federal capital territory for the purpose.

On the structure of the Edo State chapter of the party, Comrade Tony Akeni noted that any purported dissolution of the party’s executive council leadership in Edo state is a “figment of Abure’s imagination, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.”

The sub-committee chair stated: “The Nigerian public, especially our party’s teeming supporters in Edo State, should note that Abure’s suspension was appropriately ratified by all tiers of our party’s structure in the state, from the ward and local to state executive councils. The ward’s suspension dated Wednesday May 14, 2024 was confirmed at a meeting of the state executive council held on Friday, May 17 in Benin City,” the NTC said.

The Labour Party NTC said it is committed “to upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring that the party operates in accordance with its constitution. Any individual or group attempting to disrupt the party’s activities will face appropriate sanctions in due course. Let dissidents working with the suspended Abure therefore not test our magnanimity of patience and the whiplash of the long rope they are tramping on.”

“We hereby advise the suspended former national chairman of our party, Julius Abure, to desist from parading himself as a member of Labour Party or undertaking activities that undermine the labours of our authentic party leaders in Edo state and our party’s candidate in the forthcoming governorship election. We recognise and uphold his suspension by the executive committee of his Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo state and ratification of his suspension by the LGA and state executive councils.

“The Labour Party upholds the principles of transparency, accountability and adherence to its constitution. As things stand today, by virtue of his suspension as ratified by all constitutional strata of our party, Julius Abure is not a member of the Labour Party. Not even an ordinary member. Any individual who has been suspended by the party’s executive committee must respect the decision and refrain from engaging in any activity on behalf of the party as it is fraudulent and criminal to do so.

“Julius Abure is hereby advised to comply with his suspension.We call on the able leadership of Bishop Samuel Omede and other strata leaders of our Edo State chapter of Labour Party, from the wards to state level, to focus on the forthcoming governorship election and deliver the candidate of our party, Barrister Olumide Akpata.

“Our party leaders, stakeholders and genuine Obidients in Edo must make sure that Abure’s divisive expeditions and distractions are overcome to enable our party win Edo State and win the governorship election decisively,” the NTC stated.

THEWILL recalls that the Julius Abure-led national leadership of the party, on Monday, May 27, dissolved the Kelly Ogbaloi-led exco in the state and swore in a caretaker committee headed by Mrs. Ativie.

Abure’s excuse was that the tenure of the dissolved exco had since expired in the month of April 2024. But before Ativie’s committee came on board, Kelly Ogbaloi-led exco endorsed the suspension of Barr. Julius Abure as National Chairman of the Labour Party.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/lp-crisis-deepens-as-two-chairmen-attend-inec-meeting/%3famp

EluPee.


Top to bottomm

Any individual who has been suspended by the party’s executive committee must respect the decision and refrain from engaging in any activity on behalf of the party as it is fraudulent and criminal to do so. Meanwhile, na me be the best fashion designer in Nigeria, look at my profile if you be doubting Thomas.

Nigerians are the most dangerous species on the surface of the earth. I have never seen anything they can't destroy just for selfish gain. How on earth can two chairmen emerged when we are truly fighting to reposition the polity. No wonder the political post is for the highest bidders. Nobody cares about the well being of others. We are just too greedy.

Edo no be Lagos sha

Eluu pee

Hand work of APC🙄

Nemere2020:


https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/lp-crisis-deepens-as-two-chairmen-attend-inec-meeting/%3famp

Money will always be the revealer of man's true character. See Abure that looked like an angel before the presidential elections, now money don twist e head.

PS: The average Nigerian does not stand for anything. Give them peanuts and watch them sell you off

ALCOHOLKILLS:
Hand work of APC🙄

I swear

helinues warn your agodorians Apc guys😎

Nemere2020:


https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/lp-crisis-deepens-as-two-chairmen-attend-inec-meeting/%3famp

Ativie na obaseki girl...forget it

Elu pee .
Obi lacks managerial skill. Imagine crisis upon crisis as leader of LP. From Apapa to Abure.
Let's wait for the next party he will run to after Elu pee

These people parading themselves as the chairman of Labour Party just want to cause problems for Olumide Akpata (SAN) the Governorship candidate of Labour Party in Edo State. Maybe, one of them is a mole planted by PDP to cause confusion in the Party.

A party that can just give it's presidential ticket to a political prostitute and ticket hunter who was not even a member of the party and only saw it as a Special Purpose Vehicle, is not worthy of the INEC registration that it has.

ALCOHOLKILLS:
Hand work of APC🙄

Even if you can't impregnate your wife it's still handiwork of APC

Obi kereke.

Party of the confused Lazy People

Where are the Bitter Obituarists that wants to fix Nigeria

COMRADES, I don't know why Nigerian politicians are so desperate for power, why can't one step down for another?
Don't undermine the conspiracy of apc on this crisis.
Animals

That's Oshiomole handwriting, he will distract the party

The audience roared with laughter.

LP
Laughable Phools

Melagros:
COMRADES, I don't know why Nigerian politicians are so desperate for power, why can't one step down for another?
Don't undermine the conspiracy of apc on this crisis.
Animals

Why didn't Obi step down for Atiku. Useless hypocrite

Ola9ja23:
Where are the Bitter Obituarists that wants to fix Nigeria

They are in Aba cheering UGM

Gay party!
Bitter Obi is gay

ALCOHOLKILLS:
Hand work of APC🙄

So, APC is now controlling LP?

No wonder Datti was crying like a beech

Melagros:
COMRADES, I don't know why Nigerian politicians are so desperate for power, why can't one step down for another?
Don't undermine the conspiracy of apc on this crisis.
Animals

It is deeper than desperation of the two chairmen. APC is at work sponsoring one chairman and sponsored chairman will never step-down because he's on destruction mission. While loyal chairman will want to fight for party interests.

Eluuupees 70,71.

TOP to BOTTOM.

Why should I bother myself about two adults fighting for their stomach?

Make all of them getaut.

Lanre1st:
That's Oshiomole handwriting, he will distract the party

It is obaseki handiwork,Ativie is an obaseki ally.apc will prefer lp to gain more ground

Clowns

The IPOB terrorist criminal party headed by the Agulu packaged fraudster can never know peace. There is no honor among thieves. They will fight las las.

party of USELESS,CONFUSED PEOPLE, THIEVES,

Lanre1st:


It is deeper than desperation of the two chairmen. APC is at work sponsoring one chairman and sponsored chairman will never step-down because he's on destruction mission. While loyal chairman will want to fight for party interests.

Ativie was in pdp before obaseki told her to go to Lp and get reps ticket.dont forget his new deputy omobayo was in lp.the stronger akpata becomes,the better for APC as they are eating pdp votes

They'd be alright. This I know