Following the Supreme Court ruling on the constitutional provisions guiding party leadership and internal conflict resolution mechanisms, a prominent Labour Party chieftain in Arochukwu Local Government Area, Chief Raymond Nwanganga, has accused Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, of deepening the internal crisis within the party for personal gain.
Reacting to the ruling and the excitement it generated in Abia State, Chief Nwanganga criticized Governor Otti for allegedly destabilizing the party’s leadership.
He claimed the governor’s recent actions reveal his original intention of hijacking the party structure to serve his interests.
“Just a day after the court’s decision, the governor convened the inauguration of a parallel political structure under the banner of ‘Abia Arise’ in Umuahia, this raises questions about the sincerity of his intentions, especially considering that he previously disbanded the party’s national leadership and unilaterally installed a caretaker committee at his own expense.
What happens to us in Abia State? The same governor who rode to power on the party’s platform has now abandoned it.” Nwanganga said.
Chief Nwanganga expressed disappointment that the governor sidelined core party members during the inauguration of the Nenadi Usman-led committee, choosing instead to elevate his loyalists.
“Those of us who worked tirelessly to sustain the platform until his emergence are now treated as outcasts,” Chief Nwanganga lamented.
Although Governor Otti has publicly called for reconciliation and extended an olive branch to the faction led by Barr. Julius Abure, Chief Nwanganga remains skeptical.
He argued that the governor, having orchestrated the division, lacks the moral authority to call for peace while allegedly undermining the party’s existing leadership.
According to him, “The governor claims that Abure’s camp should embrace peace or face self-destruction, but such a statement is misleading.
His real aim appears to be the complete removal of Labour Party leadership from the national level down to the ward level in Abia State, replacing them with his own loyalists just as he did during the last local government elections.”
He described Governor Otti as unreliable and vindictive, stating that the governor’s actions show a lack of respect for the Labour Party’s ideology and constitutional framework.
“Alex Otti was never truly committed to the party’s doctrine. If he were, he would have respected the constitution, which forbids independent structures within the party,” he added.
Chief Nwanganga further alleged that the governor has offered no support to the party’s existing leadership in Abia State, despite their longstanding commitment to the party.
“Out of the 64 members of the State Executive Council, none receives any financial support from the governor. Many of them, who are senior officers of the ruling party, have been completely sidelined in appointments.”
He urged Governor Otti to engage meaningfully with the party’s authentic leadership in Abia State if he truly seeks peace and unity.
“Let him recognize and reward those who kept the party alive before his arrival. This attempt to replace them with his ‘Abia Arise’ structure will only backfire,” he warned.
Chief Nwanganga concluded by calling on those close to the governor to advise him against destroying the very leadership that helped secure his political success.
“We’ve been here long before he arrived, and we will be here to see how this all unfolds,” he said.
