Abia State Governor Alex Otti has criticised former Labour Party National Chairman Julius Abure for continuing to sell governorship nomination forms despite court rulings and INEC recognition of another leadership.
A viral photo showed Abure presenting a nomination form to former National Vice Chairman Ceekay Igara. Otti, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary Ukoha Ukoha, questioned Abure’s authority.
Ukoha said: “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.”
He added that INEC could not legitimately monitor any electoral process under Abure’s authority. “It is up to Abure to explain to Nigerians why he is issuing nomination forms against the order of a competent court,” he said.
Igara confirmed receiving the form, explaining: “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?”
He said the forms were distributed ahead of primaries, stressing that consultations were ongoing. Meanwhile, INEC continues to recognise Usman as Labour Party chairman.
Abure’s camp has not formally responded to the governor’s chastisement.
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