- Safiu Kehinde
Labour Party’s National Executive Council (NEC) has declared that there will be no automatic ticket for its 2023 Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, and incumbent Abia state governor, Alex Otti.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, and National Secretary, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, following the Council’s meeting held on Monday at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja.
Highlighting the resolutions made at the meeting attended by members of the National Working Committee, National officers of the party, State Chairmen and Secretaries, Stakeholders of the party and other co-opted members of the National Executive Council, NEC declared all the party’s tickets open to all qualified Nigerians, including the Presidential and Abia governorship tickets previously reserved for Peter Obi and Alex Otti the party’s National Convention.
The Council also granted power to the National Working Committee, chaired by Abure, to take disciplinary action against any erring member of the party.
“NEC in session also reviewed the decision of the National Convention to reserve its Presidential and Governorship tickets for Peter Gregory Obi and Alex Otti respectively.
“Consequently, all tickets of the party from Presidency to the House of assemblies are open to all qualified Nigerians.
“NEC in session also grant the National Working Committee powers to take disciplinary action against any member that brings the party to disrepute.” The statement partly read.
Meanwhile, the Council, disassociate itself from the stakeholders’ meeting held last week by Alex Otti in Umuahia.
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Having earlier condemned the meeting, they reaffirmed that the governor do not have the constitutional right to hold such meeting.
“The NEC in session after reviewing the purported Stakeholders meeting held in Umuahia Abia State condemned the conveners of the meetings and thereafter disassociate itself from the outcome of the so-called stakeholders meeting in Umuahia Abia State where the National Working Committee, the National Executive Council, State Council, Local Government and Ward Executives of the party were purportedly++ dissolved and a so-called Caretaker Committee was set up.
“The NEC in session note that the Governor of Abia State His Excellency Alex Otti who convened the meeting do not have the power within the Party’s Constitution as provided in Article 14 (4) (B) gives power to call meetings only to the National Secretary with the approval of National Chairman.
“NEC in session further reiterate that Governor of Abia State do not even have the power to call his Ward Executive meeting without the approval and the consent of his Ward Chairman. The meeting contravenes the provisions of Section 82 (1) (2) (a) of the Electoral Act 2022.” The Council wrote.