Abure shuns meeting as Labour Party elect new party chairperson

The presidential aspirant of the Labour Party in the forthcoming 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, alongside his running mate, Mr. Datti Baba-Ahmed, as well as numerous members from both the National and State Houses of Assembly, convened on Wednesday for a stakeholders meeting organized by Governor Alex Otti.

The gathering, which took place at the Banquet Hall of the Abia State Government House in Umuahia, was notably shunned by the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Julius Abure.

Nevertheless, Governor Alex Otti, his Deputy, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu, several members of the Labour Party’s National Assembly contingent, including Senator Victor Umeh and Obi Aguocha, alongside members of the State House of Assembly, were present in Umuahia to participate in the meeting.

Additionally, the former gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in Imo State, Mr. Athan Achonu, along with several other former gubernatorial candidates of the party, were in attendance.

The absence of Mr. Julius Abure at this event was anticipated, given his opposition to the Umuahia meeting.

During the course of the meeting, the former Minister of Finance, Ms. Nenadi Usman, was appointed as the Chairperson of the 29-member Caretaker Committee, tasked with overseeing the affairs of the party and steering it towards electoral success, while Mr. Darlington Nwokocha was designated as the Secretary.

The specifics of the meeting remained somewhat unclear at the time of this report; however, the Special Adviser to Governor Otti on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, characterized it as a significant success.