The executive council of the Labour Party in Rivers State was dissolved on the grounds of alleged gross misconduct and anti-party activities. However, Akingbade Oyelekan, the National Legal Adviser of the party, criticized the decision and expressed his disagreement. He stated that the decision was flawed and not in line with the party’s constitution, and that only the National Secretary of National Working Committee (NWC) has the authority to make such an announcement.
He also noted that the spokesperson for the Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, did not have the right to declare the annulment of the Rivers state excos. Oyelekan made these comments during a press briefing in Abuja, following reports that the leadership of the Labour Party had announced the dissolution of the executive council of its Rivers State branch with immediate effect ahead of the postponed March 18 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
Oyelekan said, “I want to make this clarification because it’s expedient and very important that we need this clarification so that we don’t continue to fall into error. We discovered and read in some news platform that the River State executive was dissolved by my friend, Kenneth Okonkwo and I felt that was out of place. Why? There are constitutional procedures for taking such action. Our Constitution laid down the procedures to be followed when an excos or a member of this executive erred.
“Now, you have to first set up a disciplinary committee that will listen to the issue. Vis a Viz the allegations and the response from such a person or the group of persons. Now, the disciplinary committee will recommend to NWC the appropriate measure or punishment to be taken or a punitive measure to be imposed on such a person.
“But, this time around there was nothing like that and with due respect to Kenneth Okonkwo, he is not a member of the NWC of the party. He is not an executive with any of the structures of the party: state, local government or even national so he can not speak for the NWC.
“The person that is charged with that responsibility of doing that is the National Publicity Secretary or the National Secretary himself. In the absence of the National Publicity Secretary, the National Secretary will give the message to the public, but this time around, it was Kenneth Okonkwo who is not known as an executive of the party, and as such he cannot give information on behalf of the Labour party.
“Now, I also want to quickly draw an inference here that there is a difference between the Labour Party and the Presidential Campaign Council. They are two different organisations.
“Though, the PCC exists under the Labour Party but as the spokesman of the PCC cannot speak for the Labour Party. The Labour party has its own structure. The structure speaks for itself and that is why whatever borders on the activities of the party is given out by the publicity secretary or the National Secretary of the party who is empowered by law to do that.”
Despite Okonkwo’s inclination to intervene, he was advised against meddling with the internal affairs of the Labour Party. The speaker emphasized that the Rivers State Excos were still in power constitutionally, and that their legitimacy remained until the appropriate procedures were followed.
The Labour Party National Vice President, South South, Prince Favour Reuben, however noted that: “Whatever that has happened in the Labour Party in River state in the name of dissolving the excos is considered as null and void. The decision is from PCC and not from NWC. Abuse knows that what he did was wrong and can not stand in front of the law. The River state excos still remains intact.”
