News

BoT takes over affairs of Labour Party, declares Anambra National Convention a charade

Published

1 month ago

March 28, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

BoT takes over affairs of Labour Party, declares Anambra National Convention a charade

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Labour Party (LP) said it has stepped in to steer the affairs of the party following the expiration of the tenure in office of the immediate past National Working Committee (NWC) led by Julius Abure.

A statement signed and issued on Wednesday night by the BoT, through its Chairman, Comrade S.O.Z. Ejiofor, described the secret national convention held on Wednesday, at Nnewi in Anambra State, as a charade.

The statement reads: “Following the expiration of the tenure in office of the immediate past National Working Committee of the Labour Party headed by Mr. Julius Abure, the Board of Trustees of the Labour Party, in line with the Labour Party Constitution, has stepped in to steer the affairs of the Labour Party.

“This step is to avoid any leadership vacuum in the Labour Party.

“Furthermore, the Board of Trustees of the Labour Party, in consultation with major stakeholders in the Party, will soon communicate the processes for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive National Convention of the Labour Party.

“This is in line with the March 20, 2018, Federal High Court consent judgement delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, which recognised the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as the owner of the Labour Party and mandated that an all-inclusive and expansive National Convention of the Labour Party be held.

“The decision of the Board of Trustees is also in furtherance of the agreement signed between the former National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Julius Abure, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on 27th June 2022, which was mediated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“While we commend members of the Labour Party, especially workers, students, youths, market women and men, Obidients, and candidates on the platform of the Labour Party for their contributions and fidelity to the ideals of the party, the Board of Trustees promises to quickly set in motion processes for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive National Convention.

“Unlike the charade that took place today in Nnewi and in tandem with the principles of popular democracy, the all-inclusive National Convention will start with grassroots congresses at ward, local government, state and ultimately at the national level.

“This process will not leave any genuine member of the Labour Party out and will be held in the full view of the Independent National Electoral Commission, media, civil society, security agents and the general public.

“We commend the leader of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi and key stakeholders in the Labour Party for declining to deodorise the malfeasance that took place in Nnewi with their presence.

“The BOT assures all stakeholders that we are committed to reclaiming and repositioning the Labour Party as the vehicle for the socio-political emancipation of our dear country, her working people and populace.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Abure was re-elected as the National Chairman of the Labour Party at a controversial national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State.

Abure, along with eight others, was declared re-elected into the 22-member National Working Committee (NWC) of the LP by the Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu, at the event held at Grand Seasons Hotel in Nnewi.

A communique issued by the LP delegates, who attended the convention, said the party declared its presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, as its preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The controversial convention also adopted the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, as the Labour Party governorship candidate for the 2027 gubernatorial election in Abia State.

However, both Obi and Otti were conspicuously absent at the national convention.

Abia Deputy Governor, Emetu, led all members of the State Executive Council (SEC) and members of the National and State Assemblies from the state elected on the LP platform to the national convention.

However, no member of the National and State Assemblies from Anambra State elected under the LP platform except the member representing Peter Obi’s Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia Federal Constituency and Deputy Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, George Ozodinobi, attended the LP national convention.

The controversial re-election of Abure as National Chairman came a week after members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) picketed the LP secretariat in Abuja.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had earlier asked Abure to shelve his planned secret national convention.

The NLC had in a statement on Friday, March 15, accused Abure of running the Labour Party as a Sole Administrator by secretly scheduling a supposed national convention of the party without consulting stakeholders.

Members of the NLC, which accused Abure of “financial rascality”, had on Wednesday, March 20, occupied the National headquarters of the Labour Party in Abuja, calling for Abure’s sack as National Chairman of the party.

Reacting to Abure’s re-election earlier on Wednesday, Benson Upah, Spokesperson of the NLC, said, “It is an illegality, a nullity. The whole exercise was a charade! Nothing can legitimise such brazen impunity.”

Also, the factional chairman of the Party in Anambra State, Peter Okoye, boasted that the Nnewi national convention will not stand.

Describing the convention as a sham, Okoye queried: “This is not a convention. We are on top of the matter. It’s purely illegal. There was no ward congress, no local government congress, no state congress, and now who and who are the elected delegates that are electing the National Working Committee (NWC) members?

“The NLC was not there, TUC was not there, the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BOT members were not there either. So, who is holding the convention?”

News

Man slits cousin’s throat over sticks in Ebonyi community

Published

10 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

Nkwuda Vincent, a 42-year-old man and native of Ndiogbu in the Ndieze community in the Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has allegedly slit his cousin’s throat, Mr Nkwuda Chukwuka, for demanding some branches of a tree, which fell on their family land.

It was gathered that the incident occurred on Monday, the penultimate Monday, when the suspect, Mr Nkwuda Vincent, an Assistant Catechist of St Samuel Station Ndiogbu in Ndieze autonomous, cut down a tree standing on the boundary of their land.

According to the victim, Mr Chukwuka, who spoke to our correspondent on Friday in his hospital bed at Sudan Missionary Hospital Iboko in the council area, trouble started when he met his cousin, Mr Vincent, on the family land cutting some branches of trees.

He explained that the suspect had briefed him that his father had asked that they cut down the tree so that it would be used to stake their yam.

Narrating his ordeal, “It was on the weekend that I went to our land, where I met my cousin cutting sticks from a particular tree. Seeing that the tree was standing on our own land, I enquired about who had asked him to cut down the tree.

“According to Mr Vincent, it was my father’s directive. When I inquired further about an equal share of the stick, he retorted aggressively, resulting in an exchange of words.

“When it became obvious that he was planning to attack me with the cutlass, I used a log of wood to defend it and to my chagrin, he landed the cutlass on my throat, which is by the grace of God that I survived.”

The victim, who said he had no premonition of such unruly behaviour from his cousin, called on family members and community leaders to investigate the matter to ensure justice and penalise the suspect.

“I’m happy. I am alive to tell the story and believe that both of us are owned by the community and family, who should ensure that justice is done on the matter and punish the offender for serving as a deterrent to anybody trying such aberration in the future.

Confirming, one of the family members, Mr Nkwuda Jude, described the incident as horrific, adding that they are still treating the victim to ensure that he recovered from an injury sustained during the attack.

While clarifying the family’s stand, Mr Jude noted that the matter had been reported to the security agents, adding that the Iboko Divisional Police Station had equally taken records of the incident and reiterated that the offender would be punished according to the tradition of the people.

Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the accused person had proved abortive, as his phone number was switched off as of Friday when this report was filled out.

Also, the Ebonyi Command of the Police Force said an official report had yet to be received to that effect.

The Command’s spokesman, DSP Ukandu Joshua, said he would contact our correspondent after confirming the incident from the Police Divisional Officer in the area.

News

Kogi governorship poll dispute: Tribunal adjourns for adoption of final written addresses

Published

10 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

•SDP gov'ship candidate, Murtala Ajaka and Governor, Usman Ododo

The Kogi Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has adjourned the petition filed by Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its governorship candidate, Murtala Ajaka until May 13 for adoption of final written addresses.

Ajaka is challenging the election victory of Gov. Usman Ododo of All Progressives Congress (APC).

The three-member panel of justices, headed by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, fixed the date after the APC, the 3^rd respondent, closed its case on Thursday in defence of Gov. Ododo’s victory.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) and Ododo had, earlier, closed their defence in the petition jointly filed by SDP and Ajaka (the petitioners).

The petitioners are challenging Ododo’s victory in the Nov. 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi.

In the petition, INEC, Ododo and APC are listed as 1^st to 3^rd respondents respectively.

SDP and Ajaka, through their lawyers led by Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, closed their case on April 5 after calling 25 witnesses against their initial plan of calling 400 witnesses.

Also, INEC, on April 16, closed its case in defence of Ododo’s victory at the poll.

The commission’s counsel, Uchenna Njoku, who held the brief of Kanu Agabi, SAN, said after tendering the electoral documents against the SDP’s petition, they did not intend to call any witness having assessed the case of the petitioners.

The tribunal had, earlier, adjourned the petitions of Action Alliance (AA) and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) against the INEC’s declaration of Ododo as validly elected governor of Kogi in the governorship poll, for adoption of final written addresses.

It would be recalled that SDP, AA, PRP and Action Peoples Party (APP) filed separate petitions against Ododo’s victory.

However, the tribunal, on Feb. 20, struck out APP’s petition following its withdrawal by counsel for the party, Daniel Edeachi.

The APP had filed the petition on Dec. 1, 2023, before the tribunal.

However, in its motion on notice dated and filed on Feb. 15, the party gave eight-ground of argument for the withdrawal.

APP said though it filed the petition to challenge Ododo’s victory, the party said upon the re-evaluation of the grounds and facts of the petition, it was not reasonably convinced about the sustainability of the grounds of the petition as constituted before the tribunal.

According to the party, the withdrawal of the petition is based on the perceived unsustainability of the grounds of the petition and to avoid overburdening the tribunal with numerous petitions. (NAN)

News

Three killed, 2 injured as 3-storey building collapses in Kano

Published

14 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed three persons dead and two injured in a three-storey building collapse incident at Kuntau Quarters, Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State.

NEMA Kano Territorial Coordinator, Dr Nuradeen Abdullahi, confirmed the incident and casualty figures to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Kano.

“We received a distressed call today at about 9:20 a.m from a good Samaritan that a three- storey building under construction collapsed at Kuntau quarters.

“On receiving the information, we quickly sent our rescue team to the scene.

“So far, five persons were rescued and taken to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, out of which three were confirmed dead, while two victims sustained injury and are receiving treatment” Abdullahi said

He noted that the search and rescue operation was still ongoing to rescue those trapped.

“NEMA rescue team, Kano State Fire Service, Police, red Cross, NSCDC and SEMA among others are still at the site of the incident to ensure removal of other trapped victims,” Abdullahi said. (NAN)