By: AUSTINE AGBO EMMANUEL, Kaduna
A Labour Party chieftain, Engr. Mike Ayuba Auta has described the the emergence of Senator Nenadi Usman as the national caretaker chairman of the party as unconstitutional, null and void.
This is as the chieftain alleged that the appointment of Nenadi was done without due consultation with critical stakeholders of the party, particularly in Kaduna State, where he claimed that the party recorded significant success in the last general elections with 294,494 votes in the state.
It would be recalled that the LP stakeholders’ meeting, conveyed by the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti and chaired by its presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi adopted the former Nigerian Senator and Minister of Finance to chair the 29-member national caretaker committee that will oversee the conduct of state congresses and the all-inclusive national convention, an outcome that has sparked controversies from different states across the country.
In a statement issued to journalists in Kaduna on Sunday, Auta, who was the 2023 senatorial candidate of the party in Southern Kaduna, lamented that those who scuttled the party’s chances of winning major seats both at state and national level, are seen as saints, while party patriots are neglected.
He added that the appointment of Nenadi is also a violation of the party’s constitution, adding that due process was not followed as the party’s constitution is clear on how appointments should be made.
The chieftain called on the national leadership of the party to immediately reverse the appointment and convene a stakeholders’ meeting where agrieved members will be brought onboard to discuss the way forward for the party.
He also challenged Nenadi, Peter Obi’s Vice Presidential candidate, Datti Baba Ahmed, National Secretary of the party Umar Farouk, LP Kaduna Governorship candidate, Jonathan Asake, among other stakeholders that he fingered as reasons why the party lost many seats in Kaduna including the presidency, in 2023, to a live television debate to discuss issues affecting the party.
He said, “as far as we are concerned, Nenadi is our sister, but we do not recognize her leadership because the meeting that appointed her did not follow due process. The party’s constitution is clear on how appointments should be made, and the recent appointment of Nenadi as acting chairman did not meet those requirements.
“Nenadi’s appointment is a clear violation of our party’s constitution. It’s a backdoor appointment that was made without consulting the relevant stakeholders who used their hard earned resources to sponsor the party and ensure that it becomes a force to be reckoned with in Kaduna state within a short period of time.
“Nenadi has never been committed to the growth of our party. She has always pursued her personal interests, even if it means working against the party. These are the people that scuttle the chances of His Excellency, Dr. Peter Obi and that of myself. Even though I won, thesame people worked against me to steal my victory for the opposition People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) how on earth could this same dark horses be thesame people entrusted with the affairs of Labour Party?
“We cannot trust Nenadi, not to talk of recognizing her leadership because it’s not legitimate. It is not only dangerous to have her as our leader but also fatal to the party which seemed to be getting skewed to be either an Igbo or the Christian party as it was wrongly suspected.
“With this short introduction, I hereby challenge the LP VP candidate 2023 elections Sen. Baba Datti Ahmed, Kaduna Governorship candidate, Jonathan Asake, Sen. Nenadi Usman, LP National Secretary Umar Farouk Mairakumi and Nitwick Alh. Audi Muhammad to a debate in any live reputable television stations to be sponsored by myself financially. There are many things that the public need to know about the aftermath of the 2023 general elections and I am ready to reveal them. The selection of Sen. Nenadi Usman is not acceptable and therefore it is null and void.” Auta reiterated.
