LP Leadership crisis: We’ll not rule out external influences – Osinbajo’s ex-aide, Akande

Laolu Akande, a spokesperson of former vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has said that there is a possibility of external influences in the crisis rocking the Labour Party.

The position of Julius Abure as the national Chairman of the Labour Party is now in contention as quite a number of people do not agree that he is their chairman.

They have shifted their support to the caretaker committee that the party leaders have put in place.

But addressing the press in the aftermath of the Supreme Court judgment, Abure insisted that the court affirmed his position as the chairman of the Labor Party.

DAILY POST reported that the LP held its National Executive Council meeting on Wednesday and Abure was not there despite the call by the Caretaker committee of the party that he should shelve his sword and join them.

Abure had warned Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labor Party in the 2023 elections and the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti not to convene any National Executive Council meeting.

But they ignored his warning and convened the NEC.

They also proceeded to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to present a certified true copy of the judgment of the Supreme Court, which they said affirmed their stance rejecting Abure as the National Chairman.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television, Akande said said it was important to speak to Abure that it is required at this moment that he shows a bit of charity to himself for the good of this country.

He said, “The Labour Party, at a point, represented a significant hope. You know, don’t worry whether the presidential candidate went as much as he wanted to, but the Labour Party showed that something new can brew out of this country.

“In terms of politics, you saw a new and vibrant mobilization of the people. It’s good for our country now. Since then and now, we’ve seen how all of that is beginning to unravel.

“What has happened this last week is a renewal of hope in the Labour Party, but Mr. Julius Abure is the only obstacle. And of course, you know people around him who don’t really, just like you said, they don’t form the significant essence of the party.

“Everybody that mattered in that party seemed to have gotten the right memory. Look, the time for Julius Abure is over.

“Now, if you come to the legal part of it, it was Julius Abure that went to court to stop INEC and the party from not recognizing him anymore, because his tenure had elapsed.

“And so the matter proceeded from the High Court to the Appeal, and now the Supreme Court has said it’s not our business. So, that means the matter has reverted to where it was when Abure went to court, which is no longer the chair of the party.

“So it’s just a question of time that Julius Abure is going to fizzle out. What I’m asking him for is a bit of charity. To just do the right thing, keep the remainder of his honour. He can keep it so that he can, he can exit in some dignified sense, because it’s very clear already.”

On why Abure is holding on despite being rejected already, Akande said, “We must also understand that Julius Abure also represents the typical Nigerian politician. So it’s not that Julius Abure is behaving out of context.

“This is how the average Nigerian politician behaves in personal advertisements. That’s the only reason why Abure is still paying for all these tactics.

“Why must you be a chairman of the party after your tenure has elapsed for God’s sake, somebody needs to do Julius a bit of good and call him to his side and say, ‘look, come on. The Labour Party is greater than you.’

“The Supreme Court ruling is very clear. It’s very clear that the Supreme court has rejected the chairmanship of Julius.

“The Supreme Court has said that you cannot be an obstacle. And yet he has the audacity to go out and be talking the way I just don’t understand.”

On if he sees external influences in what Julius Abure is acting out, he added, “It’s not impossible.

“We don’t have any evidence, but, you know, we will not rule it out, you know. But let’s just talk to Abure and say, ‘Look, help Nigeria, because a properly organized Labour Party brings a bit of fresh air. We saw it for the last time. Why is Aburi constituting himself into an obstacle?”