Forward of the Saturday, September 21 governorship election in Edo State, the Labour Occasion, on Wednesday, held its closing mega marketing campaign rally with the occasion’s leaders, equivalent to Peter Obi, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, Nenadi Usman, Aisha Yesufu, amongst others, in attendance, canvassing assist for the occasion’s candidate, Olumide Akpata.
Nevertheless, the embattled Nationwide Chairman of the occasion, Julius Abure, and members of his disputed Nationwide Working Committee, had been absent.
On Wednesday, the Abure camp, at a press convention in Abuja addressed by the Nationwide Publicity Secretary of the occasion, Obiora Ifoh, accused Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, of betrayal, following the appointment of a caretaker committee, led by Nenadi Usman, to guide the occasion.
Ifoh accused Obi and Otti of teaming up with the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee to frustrate Abure and his NWC.
Ifoh lamented that reasonably than stand by the occasion in its making an attempt second, the 2 occasion leaders betrayed their belief by brazenly dancing ‘Gwo gwo gwo gwon’ with the electoral umpire.
“Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo” is a well-liked people music by nonagenarian highlife artist, Mike Ejeagha, which went viral this yr on social media.
Ifoh mentioned, “The occasion is miffed by the actions of our leaders together with our former presidential candidate and our solely governor who needs to be defending the occasion at this making an attempt second. They should know that the LP goes by means of difficult occasions over its function in defending each leaders throughout the 2023 basic election. Our management went to the trenches with Obi, cascading by means of the nooks and crannies canvassing for votes.
“For the advantage of hindsight, not a number of Nigerians will overlook how we accommodated a few of these leaders after they had been denied tickets of their former political events. Many who immediately sought the pinnacle of Julius Abure to be served on a platter had been rolling on the flooring, begging for tickets. Some couldn’t even afford to pay for the nomination kinds.
“The identical LP management stood by our then governorship candidate in Abia by means of thick and skinny, snubbing all kinds of pressures, weathering the political and judicial storms to make sure that victory was achieved. At this time, these leaders are actually dancing ‘Gwo gwo gwo ngwo’ with us. What a disgrace, what a betrayal.”
The drama comes barely one week after the occasion dragged INEC to courtroom to cease the fee from granting recognition to the newly put in Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee.
Two days in the past, the media was additionally awash with INEC’s counter-affidavit to the impact that the tenure of the Abure-led executives has expired to justify its try and confer legitimacy on the 29-member committee inaugurated by Obi, Otti and the occasion’s stakeholders.
However Ifoh vowed on Wednesday that the ‘unlawful association’ wouldn’t stand, stressing that the committee members had been handpicked by factions of the occasion in essentially the most undemocratic trend.
He additionally accused INEC of making an attempt to destabilise the occasion by taking sides and trying to undermine the LP management.
“As you’re conscious, the occasion has since sued INEC difficult its exclusion from the fee’s refresher coaching for importing occasion brokers forward of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections. Nevertheless, INEC had in a counter-affidavit, filed in response to our swimsuit argued that the Labour Occasion’s management, together with Julius Abure, is invalid, stressing that it doesn’t recognise the occasion’s March 2024 Nationwide Conference.
“Each Nigerian alive is aware of the function INEC performed within the 2023 basic election and the way the electoral will of the folks had been dashed. It amazes us that those that suffered from this INEC’s ineptitude in 2023, are actually becoming a member of forces with the fee in opposition to the occasion management. For these leaders, there isn’t a qualm to leverage on the INEC’s standpoint of illegality to try to grab the management of the occasion.
“We sincerely wish to advise these leaders that INEC is and might by no means be the mannequin on which to launch their annexation agenda. The 2023 saga remains to be contemporary. In a single breath, we demonised INEC. In one other, you’re seen fraternising with them. I ask, the place was this loyalty when INEC failed to guard the desire of the folks in 2023? Allow us to not be fooled. INEC has not modified, and are available 2027, they may as soon as once more serve you the portage with the identical dish,” he acknowledged.