By Moses Okorie
Dr. Ayo Olorunfemi, the deputy national chairman of the Labour Party led by Barrister Julius Abure has said that his faction of the party will forgive its former presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, if he returns with a genuine heart of repentance, after associating himself with Governor Alex Otti of Abia State and others who are supporting the faction led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman.
Speaking during a townhall meeting held on Saturday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, which was organized by the Labour Party Southwest, Olorunfemi took a swipe at Governor Otti, senator representing FCT, Ireti Kingibe and some other politicians to insisted that the tenure of Abure as the national chairman was over.
He wondered why people they gave soft-lading to join the political party would now be seeking their removal, but vowed that they would go nowhere. According to him, the Supreme Court judgement on the matter favoured his faction, that political parties have the powers to resolve all their internal matters.
Olorunfemi who called Alex Otti an ingrate narrated how the Abia governor was coming to plead with them to allow him run under the platform of the Labour Party. He said Senator Ireti Kingibe, after contesting for senate at three consecutive times was given Labour Party platform to run in 2023, but today she is supporting the other faction.
Also speaking, the FCT chairman of the party, Comrade Peter Diugwu supported positions averred by Olorunfemi. He vowed that nobody can remove them and that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, will not even recognize their opponents because Abure’s faction is the one in charge of the party.
Diugwu encouraged officials of other geopolitical zones of the party in the FCT to organize their own townhall meetings like the Southwest had done.
Abure was represented at the event by the national youth leader of the party, Barrister Kennedy Chigozie Ahanotu.
The event had in attendance some aspirants for the chairmanship of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and from Bwari.