The crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP), which has led to two factions presided by the embattled National Chairman, Julius Abure, and acting National Chairman, Lamido Apapa, has deepened over the weekend.
OsunDaily News reports that this is as a result of two candidates emerging in parallel primaries to fly the party’s flag in the November 11 Imo State governorship election.
The primary conducted by the Abure-led faction on Saturday produced Senator Athan Achonu as the winner, having polled 134 votes to defeat his closest rival, Lincoln Ugunewe who got 125 votes.
The primary of the Aburi-led faction on Saturday where Senator Achonu emerged as winner had as returning officer, Dr.Alex Otti, Abia State Governor-elect.
Other contestants were Martins Agbaso who got 13 votes; David Mbamara, five votes, Charles Agomuo, one vote; Kelechi Nwagwu, nine votes, and Chinedu Amadi, four votes.
However, in another primary held on Sunday by the Apapa-led faction, Ikechukwu Ukaegbu emerged winner in the election where one of the aspirants, Ihechi Ike stepped down for him.
National Vice chairman of the party, North East, Mohammed Ibrahim Alkali who represented Apapa, announced Ukaegbu winner and handed the party’s flag.
Speaking to journalists after the primary conducted by the Apapa faction, the National Youth leader of the party, Anselem Iragbe, said the primary met all legal requirements.
According to him, the Abure-led faction erred on the side of the law, stressing that the Apapa’s faction conducted the authentic governorship primary of the party.
He said: “An FCT High Court issued a restraining order on April 4 on Julius Aburi, the National Chairman, his Treasurer, and Organising Secretary, as a result of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on the forensic report that indicted them on perjury and criminal conspiracy. They were asked to stop parading themselves as officials of the Labour party. This means from the 5th of April they are no longer officials of the party, so whatever took place yesterday as an election does not stand according to the face of the law.”
