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The Senator Nenadi Usman led Labour Party Caretaker Committee is facing legitimacy huddle as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has refused to grant it the recognition it applied, more than two weeks after its emergence.
The committee which had its inaugural meeting late night on Tuesday after it waited desperately and in vain for INEC to accede to its request, were frustrated after it was asked to abide by the constitutional provisions of the party or wait for the outcome of the suit which is before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
A member of the Committee who spoke under the condition of anonymity said that INEC has not acted officially on the committee’s request after it submitted the letter requesting recognition on September 6. The source said the Committee is facing a brick wall as the electoral body has insisted that the process the committee took was unconstitutional and cannot be defended.
According to the source, “Though INEC urged on the Stakeholders, believing that peace will return to the party if they were able to persuade Abure or any member of the National Working Committee to attend the Umuahia meeting. This to INEC will give the meeting some form of legitimacy but unfortunately, no member of the NWC showed up at the Umuahia meeting. Their absence defeated the whole aim and INEC’s arms were tied.
“The first letter for recognition was sent on the 6th of September. That letter was rejected because while the Abia Governor, Alex Otti appended his signature on the letter, someone however signed on behalf of Peter Obi. The INEC officials insisted that there will not be a proxy endorsement. Another letter was sent two days later with appropriate signatures, yet the letter was neither treated nor honoured.”
Another source in the Caretaker Committee who volunteered that having not received expected response from INEC, the Committee approached a state High Court in Aba, Abia state to seek for an injuntion to restrain Abure led executive from parading itself as the authentic officers of the party. The court refused the order while insisting on interlocutory process. The matter however came up for hearing on Tuesday but again the Judge declined to continue with case chosing to return the case file to the Chief Judge of Abia State for reassignment.
Investigation has it that the Nenadi Usman and her Committee members had assembled in Abuja on Tuesday to roll the drums while desperately waiting for the Aba judgement which they had hoped will go their way. The inability of the Aba court to grant them their wishes disorganized their well planned inauguration which eventually held at 8 pm. Presently, the committee is loosing steam as it is being forced to wait until the Federal High Court rules on the matter before it.
Former Labour Party Presidential candidate Peter Obi had on September 4, in Umuahia, inaugurated 29 member Caretaker committee, during a Labour Party Special Stakeholders meeting convened by the Abia state governor, Sir. Alex Otti. While former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman was appointed the chairperson, the Immediate-past Senate Minority Deputy Whip, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, was also appointed to serve as Secretary.
The committee was mandated to midwife an election of a new leadership of the party within the next 90 days. The Terms of Reference of the Committee include, ensuring the conduct of Ward, Local Government, State Congresses and National Convention as soon as possible and in accordance with the Constitution of the Labour Party.
Meanwhile the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, when contacted to comment on the development, said the party does not recognize the Caretaker Committee. He called on the party members to see the Committee as destabilizing agents that must not be given a chance to wreck havoc in the party.
He said, “Our party is intact and we will not allow visitors to chase out of the house we laboured to build. Some of them are barely one year old and now they are positioning themselves, their kin and kits to take over the party. The party is run by a constitution and anything unconstitutional will not be accepted.”
Efforts to speak with the Chairman of the Caretakers, Senator Usman was not successful as her phone was switched off.