A Factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Callistus Uju Okafor, has insisted that the embattled National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, was not next in line to the seat of the Chairman; as he recounted how the crisis in the LP began in 2017.
Okafor had said, “This problem started 2017. Julius Abure was, and still is an acting National Secretary; According to the constitution of the Labour Party, in absence of the National Chairman, the Deputy presides. Note, in absence of Deputy National Chairman, any of the National Vice Chairmen takes over. You can see, there is no way in the constitution of the Labour Party that in absence of National Chairman or Deputy, the acting National Secretary can take over.”
Okafor, who spoke during an interview on Arise Television, revealed that the crisis in the LP began since 2017. According to him, the crisis began when a gubernatorial candidate of the party in Anambra State was denied the ticket of the party; and defrauded by the then National Chairman of the party. According to him, he had, in the position of the Deputy National Chairman of the party, called a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) to suspend the Chairman. He said Abure was a member of his faction when he called the meeting; but backed out of the fight because he was indicted.
Okafor revealed that Abure joined forces with the then National Chairman untill the LP bigwig died. According to him, the constitution did not allow Abure, who was the acting National Secretary to take over as the National Chairman of the party.
