By Our Correspondent
The Anambra State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has issued a stern warning to individuals claiming to be the party’s governorship candidate for the forthcoming election, declaring such claims “null and void” and warning that they would not be tolerated.
In a statement issued on Friday, the State Chairman of the party, Comrade Peter Okoye, stressed that the only recognised leadership of the LP remains that headed by Senator Nenadi Usman as the National Chairman, with Senator Darlington Nwokocha serving as National Secretary.
Okoye cautioned that any individual parading as the party’s flagbearer in Anambra was acting at his or her own risk, insisting that “one cannot build something on nothing.”
“Any candidate that is not nominated through the leadership of Distinguished Senator Nenadi Usman is null and void — illegal. Anybody parading as a candidate of the party in the state is at his own risk.
We have only one leadership and we will not condone any form of illegality in our party again here in Anambra State.
“Everybody should be warned because nobody is above the law, and there is no amount of threat that will make me and my executives succumb,” Okoye declared.
He further noted that the state executive would take decisive steps to safeguard the integrity of the party’s processes, urging members and the public to disregard unauthorised claimants to the LP ticket.
The Labour Party has, in recent months, been embroiled in high-profile leadership changes and factional disputes at the national level.
A National Executive Committee meeting earlier this year ratified Senator Nenadi Usman as Interim National Chairman, with Senator Darlington Nwokocha named Interim National Secretary.
On April 4, the Supreme Court sacked Julius Abure, the former National Chairman, ruling that his tenure had expired. However, the following day, April 5, the Abure-led faction produced George Moghalu as the party’s governorship candidate in Anambra through a primary election.
Okoye subsequently dragged Moghalu before the Federal High Court, Enugu, in an ex parte application seeking to restrain him from parading as the LP candidate.
The court ordered parties to maintain the status quo. The case has since been transferred to a Federal High Court in Awka, the Anambra State capital, for further hearin
