Ahead of the State House of Assembly election in Imo State, the state government has said that Labour Party doesn’t have leadership in the state to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Speaking at a press conference, the Special Adviser on Communications to Governor Hope Uzodimma, Collins Ughalaa, said Labour Party should put their house in order first but talking of unseating the governor in November this year.
Ughalaa argued that a party that practices imposition would not be able to defeat APC in Imo State.
He said, “As of yesterday, March 10, 2023, the supposed leaders of the Labour Party in Imo State were still fighting over the imposition of a caretaker committee. While those who think the imposition favors them insist it must stand, those who believe that imposition has no place in a constitutional democracy like ours say it must not stand. We are just watching from a distance.
“Backed by some other leaders in the party, the erstwhile Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Alvan Opara, issued a disclaimer, saying that the deposed chairman of the party, Ambrose Onyekwere, was on his own. He said the State Working Committee of the party remains intact and not dissolved and that members of the party should not attend any meeting convened by Festus Onyekwulisi and his cohorts.
“In another bizarre development, 18 notable leaders of the party, including nine governorship aspirants, rejected the imposition of a caretaker committee, describing it as ill-timed and lacking in proper consultation. In a protest letter signed by Senator Chris Anyanwu, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, Dr. Obinna Ibe, Hon. Nick Oparandudu, Hon. George Egu, Frank Nneji, Pascal Odibo, Hon. Mike Ndubuaku, Dr. Chinyere Okpara, Ike C. Ibe, Kelechi Nwagwu, David Mbamara, Charles Onyirimba, Humphrey Anumudu, TJ Ehirim, Martin Agbaso, Jack Ogunewe, and Chinedu Amadi, on Thursday, March 9, 2023, said the imposed caretaker committee “has been causing much consternation among party faithful” and causing damage to the party. They called for the immediate suspension of the imposed caretaker committee.
“The imposed caretaker committee chairman, Festus Onyekwulisi, to justify his imposition, boasted before journalists that the Labour Party would sack Governor Hope Uzodimma, during the next election, and such other mumbo-jumbo excited people could say.
“No doubt, Mr. Onyekwulisi sleepwalking and not in tune with reality. If he had asked those who imposed on him, they would have told him he was embarking on a journey of the impossible.
“There is no democracy in the Labour Party in Imo. The morning shows the day. Those who imposed a caretaker committee on the party say they already know the governorship candidate and insist it’s him or no one else.
“The imposition of the caretaker committee is just one of the many strategies to impose a governorship candidate on the party. The primary election in the Labour Party will be just a formality – to pretend to be democratic.”
