National leader of the Labor Party (LP) Julius Habre has called on his party's 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, Abia State Governor Alex Otti and other aggrieved parties to reconcile and return to the party. Ta.
Habre made the allegations in an interview with Saturday Punch after months of internal controversy over his leadership and the controversial tournament that reinstated him as president.
The embattled speaker has been at odds with several party bigwigs who opposed his re-election, saying the Nnewi convention lacked inclusivity and representation.
In response, Mr. Obi, Mr. Otti and other stakeholders established a 29-member interim committee in July, chaired by former finance minister Nnenadi Usman.
The committee was tasked with organizing expanded elections to bring in new leadership at all levels of the party.
Despite this outcome, Mr Habre won a victory at the Federal High Court in Abuja, reaffirming his status as the rightful national chairman of the Labor Party.
Following the court victory, Habre stepped up efforts to restore unity within the party and appealed to defecting members to put aside their differences.
“I would like to say that there is no more crisis in the party. The court said there is only one leader of the LP, and if there is a conflict in the country or elsewhere, there is only one person who can go and ask for a reprieve,” he said. The place is the courts. We were told that our national convention did not follow due process. That’s why people went to court.
“INEC claimed that we did not follow due process and took it to court. The court said the convention was in line with the party constitution, electoral law and the constitution of the land. INEC has since followed suit. We work very closely with the committee.
“Anyone who feels offended please come back to the party. We have forgiven everyone who we perceived to have done something to us. I am not angry. We I forgot that, and LP is one big family."
Continuing, the LP Chairman expressed concern that Nigerians were facing serious hardships, which he said could not be blamed solely on the leadership.
Mr. Habre also expressed support for effective electoral reforms to resolve the recurring challenges associated with electing good leaders in the country.
“Today, our country stands at a crossroads. It’s time for all of us to reflect. The issue is not just about leadership. It’s about followership, too,” he said.
“If the Labor Party is to drive change, we need our thinking and our philosophy. Electoral reform is what we must pursue if we are to have leaders with dignity and integrity and drive the development of our country. This is a must-have program.”
