By Everest Ezihe, Owerri
Relative peace may have returned among the ranks of the opposition Labour Party (LP) in Imo state as the party’s presidential candidate in the February 25 election and National Working Committee (NWC have intervened in the leadership crisis that earlier rocked the party in Imo state, ahead of the April governorship election primary
Imo L P was recently engulfed in leadership crisis, following the dissolution of its State Working Committee, by the national leadership
The governorship aspirants where pitched against each other following accusations and counter accusations of plotting to hijack the exercise with the sacking of the Ambrose Onyekwere led former State Executive Committee,
But the LP NWC, in its determination to avoid a damaging crisis ahead of the November 11 governorship election, swiftly moved to announce the dissolution of the caretaker committee, and replaced it with a 17 man committee, which is made of nominees of all the thre National assembly members – elect, Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi, Hon. Tochi Okere and Hon. Mathew Nwogu, as well each representative from the 13 governorship aspirants
The NWC also drafted the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who had earlier met with all the aspirants to supervise the screening ahead of the primary
It was also gathered that the recent directives by the national leadership of the party, asking her presidential candidate to screen all the 13 governorship aspirants has restored hope and confidence among the stakeholders, adding that the decision has checkmated the alleged hijack of the party in the state by money bags.
The National Working Committee, NWC, and key leaders of the party, it was gathered met on Friday, 24th March in Abuja, where it took the decisive steps to halt the party’s drift ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Imo State.
The 17 man committee weas mandated to oversee the conduct of the governorship primary, which INEC has scheduled to hold between Monday April 10 to Saturday April 15th
The Steering Committee, was also charged with the task of embarking on membership validation which will end on April 5, and election of three delegates from each of the 305 wards in the state on April 7.
