The crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party continued on Monday as the Julius Abure-led national leadership of the party sacked the state executive led by Kelly Ogaloi.
In its place, the party’s national secretariat constituted a 17-man caretaker committee, headed by a former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Elizabeth Ativie, to oversee the running of the chapter.
The crisis in the state chapter of the party caused a stir on May 25, 2024, as the leaders in the Arue-Uromi, in the Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State suspended Abure for alleged high-handedness and anti-party activities.
A letter of suspension dated May 14, 2024, and another letter of ratification dated May 15, 2024, both of which were ratified at a meeting of the state executive committee on Friday, May 24, 2024, in Benin, stated that the suspension was with immediate effect.
The state executive advised Abure to restrain from holding out or parading himself as a member of the Labour Party in Ward 3, Arue, Uromi in Esan North-East LGA, Edo State.
However, the national body denied knowledge of the suspension and noted that Abure remained a member as well as the national chairman of the party.
Moving to curb the recklessness of the state executive, the national leadership of the party inaugurated in its place a caretaker committee on Monday. The ceremony was performed by the Deputy National Chairman, Dr Ayo Olorunfemi.
While administering the caretaker committee to the oath of office, Dr Olorunfemi said the new leadership of the party in the state came on board as the tenure of the Ogbaloi-led executive council ended in April.
He said the new leadership of the party in the state was expected to take charge of the affairs, pending when a fresh congress would hold to elect a new executive in the state.
He said the party decided to appoint Ativie as the state chairman due to her result-oriented track record in her political positions so far.
Olorunfemi, therefore, called for unity in the party and assured that the party would be united in the state with the new caretaker committee.
In his speech, the member representing Oredo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Esosa lyawe, commended the national leadership of the party for appointing Hon Ativie as the chairman of the caretaker committee.
He said the party was ready to go into the state governorship election in September with Olumide Akpata as its gubernatorial candidate.
Also speaking, a member representing Egor/lkpoba Okha Federal Constituency, Osaro Omoruyi, congratulated the new leadership of the party in the state and stressed the need to unite all aggrieved parties.
Omoruyi expressed confidence in Ativie’s ability to move the party forward.
In her acceptance speech, Ativie promised to move the party to a higher level in the state, as she also promised to reconcile all aggrieved parties in the party.
Punch
