Labour Party crisis: Kingibe backs caretaker committee move

As the Labour Party‘s internal crisis deepens, Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory, endorsed the 29-member caretaker committee established by party stakeholders last week.

This move followed activist Aisha Yesufu‘s criticism of LP National Chairman Julius Abure over alleged misuse of campaign funds.

The caretaker committee, led by Nenadi Usman, was formed during an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, convened by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, to address the ongoing leadership dispute.

However, Abure and other key party officials were notably absent from the meeting.

Kingibe, speaking through her Senior Legislative Aide, Dr. Chris Omofoma, during a medical outreach event in Abuja, asserted that Abure’s tenure, along with his National Working Committee (NWC), ended in June 2023.

She emphasized that the actions taken by Obi, Otti, and other stakeholders were by the party’s constitution and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) guidelines, and she fully supports the caretaker committee’s leadership.

On Monday, at the National Executive Committee meeting, Abure denied the allegations of embezzlement, stating that campaign funds were managed by the Obi-Datti fundraising team, not the party. Yesufu, however, accused Abure of lying and failing to account for public donations to the party.

In response, the Obi-Datti fundraising team refuted Abure’s claims, while Yesufu challenged him to disclose the use of funds raised through the Labour Party’s N1,000 Challenge. The controversy over financial mismanagement continues to unfold as party members question the transparency of fund usage.

Additionally, Abure announced the withdrawal of automatic tickets previously reserved for Obi and Otti for the 2027 elections, opening the ticket selection to all qualified Nigerians.

This decision was met with scepticism by Akin Osuntokun, former Director General of the Obi/Datti Presidential Campaign Council, who questioned the motives behind the move and highlighted the need for a balanced leadership structure within the party.