“Destructive criticism” won’t be tolerated, LP in veiled reference to previous expulsion of foxes from the party
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
“Destructive criticism” of Labour Party (LP) National Chairman Julius Abure will no longer be tolerated from LP members and Obidient Movement supporters, the party has warned.
It sort of reminded them of how the Lamidi Apapa renegades were expelled from the LP for turning themselves into destabilising tools in hands of President Bola Tinubu who allegedly gave Apapa N500 million to do the dirty job.
The warning is sequel to a new allegation of corruption lobbed at Abure by some LP members who asked him to resign.
The petition, which went viral some days ago, was jointly signed by an LP elder, Diokpa Ajufo; Obidient Movement member, Zariyi Yusuf; representative of Advocate For A New Labour Party, Peter Piper; Obidient Diaspora leader, Tony Asekome; and member of Obidient Movement and Advocate For A New Labour Party, Chris Nwaokobia Jnr, a professor.
They alleged “a heavily compromised and transactional party under Abure are rife” in the petition addressed to LP presidential candidate Peter Obi and members of its National Working Committee (NWC), citing “damning revelations of Labour Party erstwhile Youth Leader, Anselem Eragbe.”
The petitioners said the Obidient Movement had turned a blind to the shenanigans because of its desire to enable Obi win Aso Rock before pushing for a reorganisation of the LP.
In their view, the allegation recently made on Arise News by LP Bayelsa governorship candidate Udengs Eradiri that the state LP Chairman and other executives collected N100 million bribe from Governor Douye Diri to sabotage his (Eradiri’s) chances shows how sickening the LP has become.
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Related articles:
Abure affirmed LP Chair by Appeal Court
Apapa denies collecting N500m bribe from Tinubu to scatter LP, scuttle court case
LP slams Apapa renegades for defaming Obi, threatens to take them to court
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LP decries “destructive criticism”
In reaction, LP National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh warned members and the “various bodies they represent” to stop denigrating Abure, according to reporting by The PUNCH.
Ifoh in a statement scolded them for their social media publication titled “Time up Julius Abure, we demand a Labour Party that must stand for the masses of our people”.
He said the publication contains destructive criticisms and unfounded claims, and disowned the writers, saying they are not genuine LP card-carrying members.
“It is natural that after every electoral contest, a few individuals may be disgruntled or aggrieved and as such the party leadership may be exposed to all forms of criticism by both members and non-members alike,” Ifoh explained.
“But we advise that such criticism must be tailored to aid growth and development in the party, and not necessarily to be destructive.
“Labour Party has had its fair share of intra-crisis and we think that members should desist from escalating further crisis.
“Being new joiners and not knowing the culture of the party (some of them just a few months old in the party), of course, that is what you get when ignorance and overzealousness overwhelm your reasoning.
“Most of those who authored the statement did not even win their units let alone win their local government and state.
“It is on record that most members of the National Working Committee of the party delivered their units and their states. Barrister Julius Abure, for instance, scored 79 per cent in Edo State, thereby denying other political parties the opportunity to score the required 25 per cent in the state.
“A cursory look at the authors of the statement will also reveal their ignorance on the workings of the party, party constitution, electoral act and the 1999 Constitution as amended.”