The leader of the Labour Party in Rivers State and its 2023 governorship candidate, Beatrice Itubo, says the party is no longer divided, insisting that the era of factional leadership has come to an end.
Itubo made the assertion while addressing journalists after the party’s state congress in Port Harcourt on Saturday, where new executives were elected to steer its affairs.
She cautioned against further legal battles over leadership, noting that returning to court would only drain the party’s limited resources.
According to her, aggrieved members are being encouraged to align with the leadership recognised by both the court and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, led by Esther Nenadi Usman, in order to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Itubo said, “I have been a strong supporter of Nenadi Usman-led leadership. And when the courts finally affirmed that, I was also there. And that is exactly why we have come here today to conduct this congress.
“And so there is no faction in the Labour Party. We are one party. We are only calling on them to come back.”
She added, “We can build a strong and united party. And move the party forward. It’s not all about yourself.
“Our doors are open. I want all of them to come back so that we can move forward.”
The former governorship candidate also dismissed claims that the Labour Party exists mainly on social media, stating that its performance in the 2023 elections demonstrated its strength across various levels of governance.
She, however, attributed the party’s setbacks to internal disputes, which she alleged were orchestrated to weaken its structure and contributed to the defection of some members.
Itubo maintained that the Labour Party secured victory in both national and state elections, adding that while the outcome of the last polls has been accepted, the party is determined to avoid a repeat of such developments in 2027.
On the role of Peter Obi in boosting the party’s popularity, Itubo acknowledged his contribution but stressed that the Labour Party had always enjoyed strong grassroots support as a workers-based platform.
She noted that workers remain the backbone of the party, particularly at a time when many are adversely affected by the country’s economic challenges.
“The Labour Party has always been a popular party. For Peter Obi, yes, coming into the party also elevated the party to some reasonable extent. But you know as well as I do that the Labour Party is a workers-based party.
“I know that there is no family in this country that doesn’t have workers. And so these workers are the people that are the base of the party. And so when Peter Odi came, it just like gave us a boost.
“But then the workers are still there. And today they have come to say, this is what we want. There is no Nigerian who is contented with what is happening.
“And so the workers are the worst hit. You see inflation everywhere. The salaries are the same.
“People are dying every day because of hunger. When you are sick, there is no money to buy drugs and all that.
“And so at the end of the day, you find that the Labour Party will even be stronger, by the grace of God.”
She further described the recently concluded congress as a significant departure from past practices, where individuals allegedly imposed themselves as party executives without due process.
According to her, delegates from all 23 local government areas participated in the exercise and collectively elected new leaders to serve for the next four years.
Itubo expressed confidence in the newly elected executives, citing their performance during their time in an interim capacity over the past three months.
She said they played a crucial role in stabilizing the party after a leadership crisis that saw the former interim chairman and most of his team defect to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, a move she said nearly rendered the party inactive in the state.
She added that concerted efforts by party stakeholders helped to rebuild the structure and restore unity among members.
She added, “Actually, we are happy that finally we have gotten an exco for the Labour Party here in the state.
“It’s a paradigm shift from what had been happening previously, where people would just sit in their houses, in their parlours, in the beer parlours with their friends and declare themselves excos.
“But today you have all seen that the 23 local government areas were here fully present, and they all agreed and elected those that will pilot the affairs of the Liberal Party here in the state for the next four years.
“So, it’s a good thing, and I want to believe that with the energy I’m seeing them exhibit, they will go all out there to make the Liberal Party relevant if we come.”
Also speaking, the newly elected State Chairman of the party, Fredric Nwojie, said the current leadership began as a caretaker committee appointed by the national leadership under Usman.
He explained that efforts were made to reconcile members and bring various factions together, noting that while many returned to the party, a few individuals declined to rejoin.
Nwojie described the Labour Party as a trailblazer, highlighting its introduction of electronic registration for members.
He emphasised that the party’s membership is largely made up of workers who are not driven by personal gain.
He said, “we are fighting nothing, but we are fighting for something.”
DAILY POST reports that the new executives emerged through a consensus process, while previous executives and standing committees were dissolved.
The congress drew participation from party members across the 23 local government areas of the state, alongside representatives of organized labour, including the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, the Trade Union Congress, TUC, and officials from the party’s national leadership.
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