Otti lauds INEC for recognising Nenadi Usman as LP authentic chair
yarkarkara
By Steve Oko
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for recognising the Senator Nenadi Usman-led leadership of the Labour Party as the authentic leadership of the party.
Governor Otti, who spoke exclusively with Vanguard in Umuahia, described the action of INEC as a welcome development and one that is long overdue.
Otti, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, also commended all other government agencies that assisted in ensuring the judgment of the Supreme Court on the matter prevailed.
He said, “We are grateful to INEC. We are grateful to all the government agencies that played a role in ensuring that the Supreme Court’s judgment was finally respected.
“It was long overdue; it was long expected. When you examine what transpired in court and what INEC filed, a counter-affidavit, firmly explaining and insisting that Julius Abure’s tenure had expired and he had no locus to impose himself as the national chairman of the party.
” So, what INEC did is to ensure that order is restored; that normalcy is restored; that peace is restored; that cohesion and togetherness are achieved.
“With what has happened, we begin the process of reconciliation and restoration and begin to head to the right direction. We have no issues. Members have been very enthusiastic about it. They want our party to be peaceful. They want us to work like a family. And, of course, we are going to begin that process.”
He urged Abure to embrace peace and join the progressives in the ongoing efforts to rebuild the party.
“If they (Abure and his followers) are desirous of moving our party forward, they should join hands with all the progressives that are in the party to ensure that we get to the right direction.”
“The decision of INEC, of course, is very much in tandem with the Supreme Court judgment, which earlier they recognized Abud and firmly stated that Aure’s tenure had expired and we had expected Abure to respect the judgment of the Supreme Court.
“He didn’t actually need to wait for INEC to do what they just did. However, since he decided to wait, INEC has now finally decided to respect the Supreme Court’s judgment, which is in line with our laws. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land, and once the Supreme Court speaks, everybody is expected to respect and adhere strictly to its decisions. So, we are happy.
“Abure and his group are expected to join hands with other progressives in the party to move our party forward. LP is
a group of progressives.
“Abure and co may have erred, but then the leadership of the party will decide whatever decision or whatever will be their fate. But mine is that if they are progressives, they should desist from causing confusion.”
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