THE Labour Party (LP) statutory National Executive Committee (NEC) has elected Senator Nenadi Usman as the Interim National Chairman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha as the Interim National Secretary, among others, as members of the party’s interim working committee.
Nenadi was elected on Friday during the party’s NEC meeting in Abuja.
The interim working committee is expected to oversee all party activities till the party’s convention, when elections for a new NEC will be conducted
Other resolutions reached during the meeting include the approval of the schedule for the conduct of ward congresses, local government area congresses, state congresses, Zonal congresses, and the National Convention of the Labour Party.
The National Secretariat of the party is mandated to publish the guidelines and timelines to ensure transparent and democratic elections at all levels.
Friday’s meeting was attended by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State ( the party’s only governor), among others.
During the event, Ajaero described the Labour Party as a party for the common man. He urged LP members not to be discouraged by some of the challenges plaguing the party.
“Anyone who is not with us and is not working with the Labour force and claims to be the party’s chairman is a daydreamer. When the day of reckoning comes, we will say we don’t know you,” the Abia governor told the gathering.
He also reassured members of the party, saying “The council which formed the party is very much with them and we have not abandoned the party. I want us to be focused, not distracted.
“There is a need to restructure this party, rebrand it, because that is the only way this party can work.”
Meanwhile, Otti told members to do whatever it takes to make the party work.
He explained that the statutory NEC meeting is coming at the instance of the Supreme Court’s judgement, which affirmed Nenadi as the national chairperson of the party.
The governor also advised the Julius Abure-led faction to be humble enough and obey the apex court judgement.
“As law-abiding people, we felt we should obey the Supreme Court judgement, and what we are here to do is to begin a structured process by formalizing some key committees like the interim national working committee, which will oversee all party activities till the party’s convention, when elections for a new NEC will be conducted.”
He also appreciated the NLC for forming the party, but asserts that: “Now the party is bigger than the NLC”.
Furthermore, he urged members of the party to be humble and work in unity for the greater good of the Labour Party.