OTTI SLAMS JULIUS ABURE OVER CONTINUED SALE OF LABOUR PARTY NOMINATION FORMS. (PHOTO).

 Otti Slams Julius Abure Over Continued Sale of Labour Party Nomination Forms

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has strongly criticised the former National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, for proceeding with the sale of governorship nomination forms despite opposition from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and subsisting court rulings.

The criticism follows a viral photograph showing Abure presenting a Labour Party nomination form to a former National Vice Chairman of the party, Ceekay Igara, in the company of other party members.

Reacting through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ukoha Ukoha, Governor Otti questioned Abure’s continued claim to leadership of the party. 

Ukoha insisted that both judicial pronouncements and INEC’s position have effectively sidelined Abure, describing his actions as being in contempt of court.

“I think Abure is in a better position to explain the grounds on which he is still parading himself after a Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal ruled that Senator Nenadi Usman was the interim leader of the Labour Party before the convention. So, the party has moved on. INEC has also complied with the directive of a competent court of jurisdiction. That is contempt of court on the part of Julius Abure,” Ukoha stated.

The governor’s spokesperson added that INEC would not legitimately monitor any electoral process conducted under Abure’s leadership, as the commission has aligned with the court-recognised leadership structure of the party.

“It is up to Abure to explain to Nigerians why he is issuing nomination forms against the order of a competent court,” he added.

However, Ceekay Igara, who received the nomination form, defended the move in an interview. He said the distribution of forms was part of preparations to avoid a leadership vacuum pending final judicial decisions on the party’s leadership crisis.

“We have two matters, one at the Supreme Court and the other at the Federal High Court. If we say Abure should be docile, all the 33 states that conducted congresses will just go into extinction. If the Supreme Court later gives him the structure and primaries have closed, what happens?” Igara queried.

He noted that forms were being distributed ahead of yet-to-be-held primaries, stressing that internal consultations were still ongoing within the party.