- The development comes amid the crisis rocking the State chapter of the party ahead of the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election
The National leadership of the Labour Party led by julius Abure has sacked the Edo State executive of the party led by Kelly Ogbaloi.
The development comes amid the crisis rocking the State chapter of the party ahead of the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election.
Consequently, a 17-man caretaker committee has been appointed by the national leadership to manage the affairs of the party in the State l.
The committee is led by Elizabeth Ativie, the former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly.
The deputy national chairman of the party, Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, inaugurated the committee on Monday in a hotel in Benin City.
Olorunfemi, also named Ken Omusi, the suspended state youth leader of the party, a member of the committee.
Omusi had earlier in the month purportedly sacked the state executives and appointed himself the acting chairman.
According to Olorunfemi, the caretaker committee was inaugurated due to the expiration of the tenure of the Ogbaloi-led executive council, which ended in April 2024.
He said the caretaker committee is expected to take charge of the affairs of the party until a fresh congress is conducted to elect a new executive.
He said Mrs Elizabeth Ativie was appointed as chairman of the committee due to her positive and result-oriented track records so far in all her political positions.
He called for unity in the party and assured that the party would be more united in Edo State with the Ativie-led committee.
However, the embattled Kelly Ogbaloi, the sacked chairman of the party, said his executives are not aware of any changes in leadership in the state.
According to him: “We are not aware that the Edo State Labour Party executive has been dissolved because there is a process to all of these. No one man can just wake up one day and remove a structure that has been in existence.
“The National Working Committee of the party, led then by Julius Abure, reached an agreement that there would be no congress in Edo State until after the governorship election slated for September 21, 2024.
“It was agreed that the exco should be allowed to prosecute the state election, after which Congress can follow.”
Within Nigeria had reported how last Friday the Kelly Ogbaloi-led state executive suspended Julius Abure as the national chairman of the party.
Meanwhile, a letter signed by Julius Abure said the new executives of the party are expected to work in conjunction with the party’s governorship candidate, Olumide Akapata, towards ensuring victory at the governorship election