The leadership of the Labour Party, on Tuesday, announced the dissolution of the executive council of its Rivers State branch with immediate effect ahead of March 11 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
A statement signed by the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, said the LP officials in Rivers State were axed for gross anti-party activities and corruption in the management of party’s funds.
The dissolution came in the wake of reports that the Rivers State LP had collapsed its structure to endorse the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sim Fubara.
But rising from an emergency meeting of the National Working Committee in Abuja, Abure said the dissolution of the Rivers exco was in the best interest of the party and the Obidient movement.
He said, “The National Working Committee has lost confidence in the ability of the compromised State Executive Council, led by Mr Deinye Pepple, to lead the campaign for the gubernatorial and state House of Assembly elections come March 11.
“The National Working Committee urges all Obidients in Rivers State to disregard every comment made by the disgraced state Chairman of the Labour Party, Deinye Pepple, on the election of March 11 and reiterates the full backing of the Labour Party for the candidacy of Comrade Beatrice Itubo of the Labour Party as the next Governor of Rivers State.
“The National Working Committee, therefore, enjoins all Obidients to come out massively on March 11 to vote for Comrade Beatrice Itubo of Labour Party,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, in Port Harcourt, the LP state chairman, Pepple, had the PDP governorship candidate, Fubara, in the name of Labour Party.
Pepple, who read a communique to newsmen, said the decision was unanimously taken by the party chairmen in the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.
This came barely four days after a self-acclaimed governorship candidate of the party in the state, Mr Fafaa Princewill, emerged.
Princewil had, at a news briefing in Port Harcourt, declared that “I am the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Rivers State. And I want everybody to come out en masse and vote for Labour. Vote for a new beginning in Rivers State.”
Our correspondent reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission recognises Mrs Beatrice Itubo as the LP governorship candidate for Rivers State.
“With the news making rounds on social media that our gubernatorial candidate, Mrs Beatrice Itubo, has stepped down and adopted the All Progressives Congress candidate; in order for us not to remain in the dark, the party in line with the 23 LGA
chairmen has decided to support a credible candidate irrespective of the party affiliation,” Pepple had declared.
Endorsing the PDP candidate, the LP chair said, “Voting a Riverine candidate in the person of Sir Siminlalayl Fubara from the South-East Senatorial District of the state ensures that the Labour Party and her members are defenders and ambassadors of the values that have set her and the Obidient Movement apart from all other parties.
“We urge all Labour Party members, supporters and our ‘Obedient team’ to come out in their numbers on Saturday, March 11, 2023 to vote Siminialayi Fubara from the South-East senatorial District of Rivers State for governor and vote all other LP candidates for state House of Assembly in their various constituencies.”
But when contacted on telephone, Itubo, who is recognised by INEC, said she remained the authentic and recognised candidate of the LP for the Saturday poll.
Itubo said the party’s national leadership had suspended Pepple and his co-travelers.
“Members of the party never took that decision. It is himself (Deinye Pepple) and his exco. The party national leadership too has addressed the press. They have been suspended. So it is Deinye Pepple, not members of the party.
“Out teeming members are still there and everything is intact. Deinye Pepple collected $2m from the powers that be. That is why he is misbehaving, but that money will trouble him” Itubo said.
