LP stakeholders’ meeting convened by Otti illegal, says factional chair

Callistus Okafor, factional national chair of the Labour Party (LP), says the stakeholders meeting of the party convened by Alex Otti, governor of Abia state, is “illegal”.

The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.

Both Julius Abure and Okafor, factional chairs of the party, have rejected the calls for the meeting.

Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in 2023, and Datti Baba-Ahmed, his running mate, are expected to attend the meeting.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Okafor said some unnamed people are using the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to validate their selfish interest.

The factional chair said he is not aware that the electoral body gave anybody permission to hold any meeting or set up a caretaker committee.

“Please, I want to warn against these erroneous words people are using against the personality of the INEC chairman,” he said.

“According to the constitution of LP and the consent judgment, I won’t allow any man to use this party for their selfish interest, no, not under my watch.

“People should stop using the name of INEC. I also want to call INEC not to give anyone the opportunity to drop its name.

“I have seen how the INEC chairman has been handling the matter in one or two months, he can’t give a letter to anybody to go and conduct any meeting or set up any caretaker committee.”