Calistus Okafor, the former deputy chairman (south) of the Labour Party (LP), has announced his takeover of the party’s leadership. He bases this move on a 2018 consent judgment from the Federal High Court, which he claims has not been adhered to.
The party faced a leadership conflict in 2018 between the late Abdulkadir Salam, a former chair of the LP, and a faction led by Salisu Mohammed, who had proclaimed himself the national caretaker chair. The court ruling by Judge Gabriel Kolawole called for an “inclusive” national convention to resolve the dispute.
At a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Okafor asserted that the mandated convention was never held, leading to Julius Abure’s national chairmanship based on a “faulty structure.” As a member of the national working committee (NWC) with Salam, Okafor claims his group are the rightful “beneficiaries” of the judgment and thus entitled to take over the party.
“The owner of the house has taken the house. When I mean owner, I am not contesting Labour Party leadership with NLC, no. I’m talking about the process. The midwifing of this process (fresh convention),” Okafor stated. He declared himself the acting chairman of the Labour Party and announced plans to organize an inclusive convention within six months.
Okafor and the 2014 National Working Committee members, who he describes as beneficiaries of the consent judgment, have committed to reconciling all aggrieved members and groups. Their goal is to create a united and focused Labour Party that will redefine political leadership in Nigeria.
His intervention, Okafor believes, represents “a pivotal resolution of the long drawn legal battle for the soul of LP.”
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