The crisis rocking the Labour Party in Imo State took another turn when two party factions produced different governorship flag bearers, Senator Athan Achonu and Ikechukwu Ukaegbu, in the parallel primary elections held over the weekend.
Ukaegbu emerged winner in an affirmative election where one of the aspirants, Ihechi Ike, stepped down for him.
The National Vice chairman of the party, North East, Mohammed Ibrahim Alkali, who represented the acting National Chairman of the party, Lamido Apapa, who announced him the winner and handed the party’s flag to him noted that the election conducted had followed due process.
Also, the National Youth Leader of the party, Anselem Iragbe, addressing newsmen shortly affirmed that the election conducted on Sunday met all legal requirements.
According to him, the Julius Abure-led faction that conducted the Saturday primary election was not legally bound to do so.
He said, “The election conducted today, April 16, is the authentic governorship primary of the party. An FCT High Court issued a restraining order on April,4 on Julius Abure, the National Chairman, his treasurer and the organising secretary and asking them to stop parading themselves as the officials of the Labour Party
This means from the 5th they are no longer officials of the party. So, whatever took place yesterday as an election does not stand according to the face of the law.”
