The National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Alhaji Umar Faruk Ibrahim, has defended the decision of the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) to set up a disciplinary committee to probe Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, stating that the move was necessary after repeated acts of disobedience by the governor, during an interview with THE SUN....CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
According to Ibrahim, the party had shown great patience and tolerance in the past.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!He said LP leaders tried to make peace with members who challenged party rules.
However, he questioned how long the party should continue to accept such behavior.
He said Governor Otti received support from the LP after facing rejection in other parties but now, he claims, the governor has turned against the very people who helped him win.
Ibrahim noted that Otti had no right to call meetings or sack members of the National Working Committee (NWC) without party approval.
He described the action as disrespectful and against the LP constitution.
The LP scribe also questioned Governor Otti’s loyalty, asking what the governor had contributed to the party apart from causing confusion.
He said the constitution allows for discipline of any member, including Otti.
He said the governor’s move to dismiss party leaders at all levels, from national to ward executives, was unfair to those who worked hard to bring him to power.
He also accused Otti of ignoring the struggles of those who defended the party during the 2023 election.
Ibrahim stated that Otti’s actions were driven by personal ambition, not the interest of the party.
He insisted that if there were issues with the NWC leadership, the matter should have been handled peacefully and with respect to party rules.
“Moreover, look at the people that stood and defended the votes of Mr. Peter Obi during the presidential election. People stood and defended their votes with all sincerity. I did my own to ensure that the LP won my constituency, and till now, I am proud to say it. As a Muslim and Hausa, I defended Peter Obi against all odds, and this is the reward I am getting.
Is this the kind of reward that all LP faithful who supported Peter will get? Here, we are talking about those from the national, state, LG and wards executives. Governor Otti, within seconds, made a statement that could end the tenures of all of them. Let me even ask: when did Alex Otti join the LP, and who was he in the party?” he said.
