The leadership of the Labour Party has set up an 11-man committee to placate and reconcile disgruntled members of the party to form a united front ahead of the 2023 elections.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by the Chief Spokesperson of the LP Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Yunusa Tanko.
The development is coming barely one week after the National Working Committee of the party passed a vote of confidence on its embattled National Chairman, Julius Abure.
Abure has been in the eye of the storm following an allegation of N40 million fraud levelled against him by the sacked National Publicity Secretary of LP, Abayomi Arabambi.
The petition, which was made available to The PUNCH, was written by his lawyers Kaiser Oghenetejire & Co.
But the national chairman was let off the hook after the NWC claimed it had investigated the alleged N40 million fraud and found him not guilty.
Addressing media men on Thursday, Tanko stated that the NWC has reconsidered his earlier stance to inaugurate a disciplinary committee to look into the internal wrangling threatening to tear the party apart.
The LP campaign spokesman explained that an 11-man committee called ‘Labour Party Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution’ has instead been put in place to placate disgruntled members with the ultimate aim of reuniting them back to the fold of the party.
The committee will be headed by Chief Friday Toyin Ibadin as LPSPC Chairman and Dr Kenneth Diyoke as Secretary.
Other members include General Enang Essien (Retd.), AIG Charles Ugomuon (Retd.), AIG Ezekiel Zang (Retd.), ACG Akubiron Chika, ACG Ali Wakili, Obol Okomiso, Samuel Emma, SP Ego Eseimo and Mrs Comfort Okorokwo.
The statement partly read, “You are quite aware of the recent media reports regarding the issues that led to the relieving of our Youth leader, the purported sacking of Dr Doyin Okupe DG campaign organisation and our Former Acting Publicity Secretary, Mr Abayomi Arabambi of his duties and the subsequent suspension of the Ogun state’s executives of the party.
“You will also recall that the National Executive Committee had in a communique issued after its meeting to announce the aforementioned actions promised to set up a disciplinary committee to investigate the activities of the Ogun State’s exco and recommend to the NWC the appropriate further disciplinary actions to be taken against the Labour Party executives in Ogun.
“However, the NWC has rather than set up a disciplinary Committee to look into only the case of Ogun State exco deemed wise to constitute Labour Party Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee to handle that and every other matter that has to do with grievances and mischief within the party.
“This committee of eleven eminent members is to be headed by Chief Friday Toyin Ibadin as Chairman.
“With a single term of reference to reconcile all aggrieved members with the aim of a common front to win the 2023 general elections and Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed becoming the President and Vice President of Nigeria.
“This is the update arising from the last decision of the NWC regarding the suspension of the Ogun State’s exco and the sacking of the former Acting Publicity Secretary of the party and we feel it is necessary to brief you as partners in the quest of requesting Nigeria.
“It is our sincere hope that all concerned parties will respect this peaceful reconciliation call and join hands with the Labour Party, Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed in taking back Nigeria for the Nigerian people.
“That the Labour party is one big family and the fastest growing political party in Africa and as such minor internal conflicts and misunderstanding such as witnessed in recent past cannot be ruled out. The purpose of this committee, therefore, is to ensure the peaceful resolutions of all the grievances and further strengthen and promote the unity of our great party towards archiving the goals and tasks ahead of us come 2023.
“The committee is expected to start receiving interested aggrieved party members immediately to enable it to conclude this assignment within the shortest period of time to face other issues.
“It is therefore our humble appeal to all our members to cast aside all their grievances and key into the internal peace policy milestone of our party for purpose of peaceful resolutions of all the matters that may have arisen in the course of party activities.”
