THE Labour Party (LP) earlier today appointed a former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, as its Chairperson of a caretaker committee tasked with resolving the party’s ongoing leadership crisis.
Rising from a National Executive Committee/stakeholder meeting convened by Abia State governor, Dr Alex Otti, in Government House, Umuahia, the party also announced the immediate-past Senate Minority Deputy Leader, Senator Darlington Nwokocha from Abia Central, as the Secretary of the 29-member committee, expected to complete its assignment in 90 days.
The caretaker committee is to rescue the party from its current leadership crisis and organise a convention where a new leadership of the party would emerge from the ward to the national stage.
The Terms of Reference of the Committee include ensuring the conduct of ward, local government, state congresses and National Convention as soon as possible and in accordance with the Constitution of the Labour Party.
The caretaker committee constituted has Senator Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha named as Chairman and Secretary, respectively, and other members representing various interest groups including NLC, TUC, Senate, House of Representatives, House of Assembly, and gubernatorial candidates in the last election.
The meeting equally commended Governor Alex Otti for his leadership in hosting the meeting and enjoined members of the party to support the caretaker committee to achieve its mandates.
The resolution named other members of the committee to include 3 senators, 4 members of House of Representatives, 3 members from states House of Assembly, 3 members from the Nigeria Labour Congress, 3 members from the Trade Union Congress, 3 members from the gubernatorial candidates in the last election, among others.
Aside from her ministerial appointment, Senator Usman represented Kaduna South Senatorial District in the National Assembly from 2011 to 2015.
Meanwhile, in his welcome speech, Dr Otti said that the meeting was convened to deal with the existential problems confronting the party and chart a way forward for it. He noted that the tenure of the National Working Committee of the party headed by Bar. Julius Abure had elapsed since the 10th of June 2024 and called on all stakeholders of the party to join forces together to resolve every internal problem of the party.
Governor Otti said that the overall interest of all Labour Party stakeholders is the survival of the party and not necessarily the composition of the NWC as far as it is constitutionally composed.
Also speaking, the National Leader of the party and presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi said that all they are doing is to follow the guidelines established by law to save the party from total collapse.
He noted that the Labour Party, being the 3rd largest party in Nigeria, has the potential of being the brightest if things are put in the right perspective and urged members of the party to give the caretaker Committee the needed support to enable it to succeed in its assignments.
Responding on behalf of members of the caretaker committee, Senator Usman thanked the National Leader of the party, Mr Peter Obi and other stakeholders for finding them fit for the task and assured that they would justify the confidence reposed in them.
Highlights of the meeting were the reaffirmation of the solid confidence in the leadership of the National Leader of the party, Mr Peter Obi, and the resolution that all members with legal cases against the party should withdraw same for the overall interest of the party.
The presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi; his running mate, Datti Ahmed; Senator Victor Umeh; the party’s governorship candidate in Lagos State, Rhodes-Vivour, were among the party bigwigs present at the massively-attended meeting hosted by Gov. Alex Otti.
Eighteen-Eleven Media