By Polycarp Sola -Abakaliki

The Chairman of the state transition committee of the Labour Party (LP) in Ebonyi State, Comrade Innocent Igiri, has rejected the adoption of Engr. Fidelis Nwankwo as the leader of the party in the state while maintaining that Mr. Splendor Eze Oko remains the leader, being the governorship candidate of the party at the 2023 general elections.

This came following the adoption of Engr Fidelis Nwankwo as the leader of the party in Ebonyi State a few days ago by a group who claimed to be members of the National Transition Committee of the party, led by RT Hon Linus Okorie, Dr Emmanuel Ezeh, and Engr Fidelis Nwankwo himself, at a meeting held at Citihub in Abakaliki, the state capital.

In a press conference, Igiri, who noted that the Labour Party in the state has met, subsequently and uninimously nominated members of the transition committee, to which he emerged as the chairman, as directed by the chairman of the National Transition Committee, Comr. Omar Abdulwaheed Ibrahim, warned members of the party in the state to desist from participating in illegal activities that would jeopardize the peaceful transition process.

"For the benefit of those who may claim not to know, the Labour Party in Ebonyi State has already conducted its All Inclusive and Expansive Stakeholders Meeting in the state on May 5, 2024, where three motions were raised, adopted, and acted upon.

"The ship of the Labour Party in Ebonyi State has sailed successfully deep down to LGA/Ward levels in preparation for our forthcoming congresses and national convention of the party, as directed by the National Transition Committee, ably led by Comr. Omar Abdulwaheed Ibrahim.

"Permit me to say this: the National Transition Committee Chairman, Comr. Omar Abdulwaheed Ibrahim, is a man of wisdom, and he has the great experience needed to rejig the Labour Party towards winning elections. We have absolute confidence in his leadership.

"We have the mandate of the people to inform the general public that the Labour Party Ebonyi State chapter will never accept Engr. Fidelis Nwankwo as the leader of LP in the state as being proposed by some notorious political game hijackers, for very bad, obvious reasons.

"Just to mention a few, Engr. Fidelis Nwankwo is too old and belongs to the old system that the youths are seeking to change through Mr. Peter Obi.

"Secondly, Engr. Fidelis Nwankwo, whom the hijackers are projecting to be the leader, has forgotten that the person who brought him to the Labour Party is our leader, Comrade Splendour Oko Eze.

"We therefore make bold to inform the general public that the leader of the Labour Party in Ebonyi State is none other than Comrade Splendour Oko Eze, the 2023 gubernatorial candidate of the party in Ebonyi State.

"Just as Mr. Peter Obi, by virtue of his being the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in 2023, is today the Leader of the Party in the entire nation, so is Comr. Splendour Oko Eze. Anyone who wishes to be our leader in the state should first of all go and remove Splendour Oko Eze from being the 2023 governor candidate; then he can aspire to lead." Igiri stated.

He called on the Attorney General of the Federation and Honorable Minister of Justice, Mr. Latif Fagbemi, to do everything within the ambit of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended in union with other laws of the land, to prosecute Barrister Julius Abure for forgery, perjury, and financial malfeasance as directed by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, on the matter between the leader of LP in Ebonyi State, Comr. Splendour Oko Eze, and others.

"We, the leaders of the Labour Party Ebonyi State Transition Committee, are calling on the Attorney General of the Federation to charge the matter in court. That file has stayed on his table. We took a very far journey to get to the IGP and a farther journey to finally get to his office, and we won't be tired until we see justice prevail." He explained.

Bitter obi...bitter ibo.