The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has raised alarm over a perceived unholy alliance between the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha and some expelled members of the party led by Chief Lamidi Apapa, accusing them of destabilizing the party.
This was contained in a statement signed the Labour Party National Youth Leader, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, dated October 25, 2023, saying their sole purpose is to ensure that crisis is sustained perpetually in the party.
In the statement entitled “Minister Nkiruka Onyejeocha, a conduit deployed by APC to destabilize our party – Labour Party“, Prince Ahanotu wonder what connects Nkiruka Onyejeocha and the Labour Party that she will go at length to instigate and fund crisis within the party.
“We are, however, aware that the former lawmaker is fighting a personal and proxy war against the party,” Prince Ahanotu said.
He noted that Onyejeocha has been in the National Assembly since 2007 until the February 25 general election when she was defeated by Hon. Amobi Ogah of the Labour Party with a very wide margin.
According to Ahanotu, her loss to Amobi Ogah was a pill too hard to swallow, hence, she has vowed to use all her connections to ensure that the election declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is upturned in her favour.
He stated further: “Her political ambition was to be the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives. She has also boasted that powers that be in Aso Rock has promised her the speakership, a position she contested in 2019 but lost to Femi Gbajabiamila, who now is the Chief of Staff in the Tinubu administration.
“Onyejeocha believes that the Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency is her fiefdom, however, the result of that election altered all the plans and permutation for Onyejeocha who saw her ambition drifting.
“For her to be the Speaker she must first win the seat at the Reps and Amobi Ogah was the only stumbling block. Therefore, he must go at all cost.
“Onyejeocha, with strong support from the Presidency, plotted to be part of the 10th NASS using the instrument of Tribunal.
“She had worked tirelessly to ensure that the tribunal pronounced her the duly elected member by turning the rules of the election on the head.
“With her limitless access to funds, it wasn’t difficult for her to get Amobi Ogah sacked by the Tribunal. Not because he lost the election but the trial judge canceled all the votes of the Labour Party on the grounds of his membership of the party.
“Of course, the electoral law has been interpreted by even the Supreme Court to suggest that only a political party has the powers to determine its membership.
“Nigerians are still wondering what motivated such judgement but the answer is not far-fetched. She simply deployed her huge financial war-chest and bought the judgement.
“Not satisfied with the slow pace of the Tribunal route to the National Assembly, Onyejeocha went for the ‘Killer Punch” by using a Federal High Court in Kano to attempt to sack all elected political office holders from Abia State, the governor inclusive.
“The Kano judgement rattled and quaked the entire political space.
“Onyejeocha, who connived with some expelled members of the Labour Party led by Lamidi Apapa had applied to be a Joiner in the case but was refused by the judge for filling out of time.
“However, most of her pleading before the Court were granted even when the court lacked the locus. It took the ululation from the general public before the matter was upturned by the appellate court.
“Not done, Hon Onyejeocha after the ruling of the Tribunal was appealed against and the venue of the sitting moved to Lagos, also initiated a crisis by using her Aso Rock connections to bully officials of INEC into committing a mortal mistake of pitching two Senior Advocates and legal luminaries, J.O Asoluka (SAN) and Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN) against each other in an open court on who holds authority to represent INEC.
“Specifically on the 11th of October, 2023, the INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony in a letter titled LETTER OF INSTRUCTION conveyed the appointment of John Asoluka (SAN) by INEC to file an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Owerri Division, on behalf of the Commission against the decision of the Abia State National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in No. EPT/AB/HR/8/2023 — HON. NKEIRUKA CHIDUBEM ONYEJEOCHA & ANOR VS. INEC & 2 ORS.
“But in a twist of event, INEC went further to engage the services of Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN) on the same matter before the Appeal Court.
“We sincerely believe that INEC was anything but independent as the commission acted helplessly and as a body being dictated to by unseen forces. However, Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN) on the 17th of October in a letter to the Commission wrote to withdraw his representation in the two appeals before the Court of Appeal on the ground that “the Commission had already briefed another law firm to represent/or defend it.”
