Babatunji Wusu –
Key Points:
– Leadership Claims: Osuntokun asserts that Peter Obi and Governor Otti have more legitimate claims to Labour Party leadership than Julius Abure.
– INEC’s Role: He emphasizes that INEC’s recognition is vital for party legitimacy and that Abure’s tenure has effectively ended.
– Critique of Abure: Osuntokun criticizes the process through which Abure became chairman as flawed and calls for adherence to proper procedures.
– Independent Candidacy: He advocates for the inclusion of independent candidacies in the party’s constitution, highlighting Obi’s appeal as an independent figure.
– Obi’s Influence: Osuntokun argues that the support for Labour Party was largely driven by Obi, not the party itself.
Akin Osuntokun, former Director-General of the Obi/Datti Campaign Organization, has asserted that both Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, and Governor Alex Otti hold stronger claims to the party’s leadership than Julius Abure. He emphasized that there are no factions within the Labour Party and criticized Abure for failing to recognize that his tenure has ended, as confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In an interview with Arise TV, Osuntokun stated that Abure’s ascension to the party chairmanship was flawed. He argued that legitimacy is crucial, asserting, “If INEC says today that it does not recognize you as a party, then you are not a party, unfortunately, that is the law.” He further explained that any convention to elect party officials requires INEC’s certification, thus questioning Abure’s position.
Osuntokun asserted that since a party’s presidential candidate automatically becomes its leader, both Obi and Otti have more legitimate claims to leadership. He noted, “The only governor, the highest elected official on the platform of Labour Party, is Governor Otti.” He urged that it would be irresponsible for them to remain silent amid internal crises.
He reiterated that if Abure wishes to contest for the chairmanship again, he must undergo a proper process due to the flawed manner of his previous appointment. Osuntokun also expressed a desire for the party’s constitution to accommodate independent candidacies, highlighting that many Labour Party supporters were drawn to the movement primarily because of Obi, not the party itself.
He concluded, “It is a category mistake to say that the young generation were rooting for Labour Party. No, it wasn’t Labour Party; it was Obi himself that captured their imagination.”
