.Convention urges Tinubu to save economy from sinking

A faction of Labour Party (LP), yesterday, returned its embattled national Chairman, Julius Abure, for a second term in office at a convention in Nnewi, Anmabra State.

The convention took place despite the absence of the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi, and its senators from Anambra State, including Victor Umeh and Tony Nwoye,

But the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, sent his Deputy Governor, Ikechukwu  Emetu, who was also the chairman of the convention. Emetu declared Abure returned.

Delegates at the convention also unanimously returned seven other members of the National Working Committee, while dropping 14 others for either non-performance or for having served out the number of years allowed by the party’s constitution.

One of such officers is the immediate past Assistant National Chairman (South East), Innocent Sunday Okeke (Agumba), who stepped down, having served two terms.

Also, the former National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu, who is now the Deputy National Chairman, stepped down.
Earlier, the Lamidi Apapa faction of the party had described the national convention as a sham.

Anambra State faction leader of the party, Peter Okoye, said: “This is not a convention, okay. We are on top of the matter. It’s pure illegal.

“There was no ward congresses, no local government congresses, no state congress, and now who and who elected the delegates that are electing the NWC members?

“The NLC was not there, TUC was not there, the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BOT members were not there too,” he noted.

Okoye said the matter would be coming up on April 4, 2024 for hearing.

Meanwhile, the party has called on President Tinubu to take urgent steps to save “the sinking Nigerian economy by employing measures to put it on the part of growth.”

This is contained in communiqué issued after the convention.

It also passed a vote of confidence on its only Governor, Alex Otti,of Abia State and recommended that the party’s ticket for the 2027 governorship election is Abia State be reserved for him

The communiqué was jointly signed by the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, and  the National Secretary, Umar Farouk Ibrahim.

The Communique observed that, “After the 2023 general election, the security situation of the nation has not improved as there is a geometrical increase in numbers of lives lost and the economy has worsened as the standard and conditions of living of the Nigerian populace has continued to deteriorate.

The convention also advised Tinubu to take proactive measures that will encourage indigenous producers towards boosting Gross Domestic Production of the country. It recommended that sound economic team that will take a holistic review of various economic strategies be put in place, among others.