The Labour Party(LP) has set up a seven-man disciplinary standing committee to curb the excesses of members not ready to abide by its constitution and obey directives.
Julius Abure, its national chairman, told journalists on Tuesday in Abuja that the decision was one of the resolutions reached at the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) meeting.
“The national leadership will not hesitate to discipline any member who is not ready to obey the constitution of the party and obey directives,’’ Mr Abure said.
He listed members of the disciplinary committee as Kehinde Edun, the national legal adviser, as the chairman; Clement Ojukwu, deputy national chairman; Ayo Olorunfemi; and Dudu Manuga, the national women leader.
Others are Callistus Ihejiagwa, chairman of the Imo chapter; Raji Mohammed, the chairman of the Kano State chapter; and Umar Ibrahim, national secretary, as the committee secretary.
Mr Abure urged party members to work together to lift the poor, which LP stands for.
Speaking further on the reason for the communiqué, he said it was to read out the decision of the NWC after meeting with the governor of Abia State, Alex Otti.
He said the governor stated his intention to convene a NEC meeting on Saturday, August 31, to dissolve the national, state, local government, and ward executive councils on the purported ground that the tenures of the executives had expired.
“His argument was premised allegedly from a claim by INEC that the current executive’s tenures had expired,” he said, noting that the court, on June 16, validated the party’s national convention held on March 27.
Mr Abure said section 82(5) of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that failure of a political party to notify the commission as stated in sub-section (1)shall render the convention, congress, conference or meeting invalid.
The LP national chairman said the party had fulfilled its obligation to convene its convention.
“Therefore, for any person(s) or agency to begin to instigate members of the party from the back door that the tenures of the executives have expired is tantamount to being unprofessional and mischievous.
“We must also state that government business is not conducted verbally. It is done in official communication through writing and correspondence. So, we must await any communication by INEC,” he stated.
He appealed to other contending parties to sheathe their swords and maintain the status quo until the final court verdict.