By Jennifer Amarachi
Ireti Kingibe, a senator from the Federal Capital Territory district, has endorsed the 29-member caretaker committee formed by Labour Party leader, Peter Obi, Abia Governor Alex Otti, and party stakeholders to oversee a national convention.
Kingibe spoke at the launch of a four-day free medical outreach for her constituents in Abuja.
The senator, represented by her senior legislative aide, Dr. Chris Omofoma, told a source that every LP member is aware that Julius Abure’s tenure as National Chairman and his National Working Committee ended in June 2023, though Abure and his supporters have not come to terms with this fact.
Kingibe further explained that Otti and Obi, whom Abure is now opposing, had previously requested an extension of his tenure by an additional year to help recover from the 2023 presidential election loss.
The free medical outreach was organized in collaboration with the National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.
A large number of people attended the event seeking eye tests, free treatment, and referrals for suspected cases of cataract cases.
The National Youth Leader, Kennedy Ahanotu, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, and his National Secretary, Umar Farouk, were conspicuously absent from the enlarged stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, the state capital.
The meeting was convened by Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State, to address the party’s persistent leadership crisis.
However, the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee has been contested by the Abure-led NWC, which has called it void.
“There really isn’t a crisis in Labour. So, whatever Alex Otti, Obi, and other party stakeholders are doing is in line with the constitution and INEC guidelines. It is now up to Abure to accept the reality that his tenure is over, and it is time to do what is necessary.
“I fully support the Nenadi Usman-led committee. That is the way forward. Anything else from the Abure-led NWC is illegal.”
The FCT senator went on to say that Tuesday’s medical outreach was a huge success. She claimed that the goal was to give 5,000 people in her FCT constituency access to necessary medical care.
