Nathaniel Zaccheaus
The lawyer to the Nigeria Labour Congress, one of the stakeholders of the Labour Party, Femi Falana, has said, there was no faction within the party, registered by the Nigerian workers.

Falana stated this in a statement on Thursday.

Three labour party candidates had emerged for the 2023 general elections.

The three factions within the party had held separate conventions which had produced Messrs Peter Obi, Sampson Uchenna and Jude Ezenwafor.

However, Falana in a statement by one of the Counsels in his chambers, Abubakar Marshall, insisted that there was no faction in the LP.

The statement read, “The dispute in the Labour Party led to the institution of Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/865/2014 (Labour Party & 3 Ors v Comrade Salisu Mohammed & 8 Ors). Sometime in 2018.

“The parties resolved to resolve the intraparty dispute amicably. They agreed and signed some terms of the settlement. Thus, by an order made on 6th March 2018, the Federal High Court endorsed the terms of the settlement and ruled inter alia:

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“That the 1st Claimant (Labour Party) though not a trade union is an institutional political party founded, promoted and registered by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on behalf of the Nigerian Workers.

“The parties agree to convene an expansive and inclusive National Convention of the party as stipulated by the party’s constitution.”

“When the unity convention was not called by the leadership of the Labour Party we embarked on contempt proceedings on behalf of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“We equally petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a party to the suit to ensure compliance with the court judgment. It was at that stage that the INEC facilitated a meeting of the parties to agree on the modalities for convening the convention.

“Based on the intervention of the INEC the parties agreed to convene the unity convention but the plan was put on hold as a result of the directive of INEC to all registered political parties to conclude their primary elections not later than the 9th day of June 2022.

“It is public knowledge that the Labour Party has held its primary elections under the leadership of Comrade Julius Abure.

“The presidential primary election which produced Mr Peter Obi as the presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party was held at Asaba, Delta State on May 30, 2022. The primaries were monitored by the INEC in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

“However, Mr Calistus Okafor filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking to be declared the Chairman of the Labour Party.

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“Even though the case was filed three years ago, the Claimant secured an order last week to serve the originating processes on the Defendants by substituted means.

“Since the Court has not granted the relief sought by Mr. to be declared the Chairman the purported primary of the Labour Party convened by him cannot be justified in law. Apart from the fact that the INEC did not monitor the so-called primary, Mr Jude Ezenwafor, the presidential candidate appointed by Mr Okafor has since stepped down for Mr Peter Obi.”

Meanwhile, a factional leader of LP, Okafor in an interview on Thursday in Abuja, insisted that the constitution of the party recognized him as the acting national chairman of the LP.

He maintained that only an all-inclusive convention of the party, based on the consent judgement of the court could change the arrangement.

He said, “We are in Court and only the verdict of the court would determine the authentic executive of the party and the presidential candidate.”

Okafor also debunked the rumoured resignation of his faction’s national presidential candidate, Ezenwafor.

An undated letter of resignation purportedly written by Ezenwafor was circulated on Thursday.

He said, “I have confirmed from Jude Ezenwafor and he has denied withdrawing from the race.”