LP distances self from splinter group in Cross River

The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) in Cross River State has described a group of former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) officials, who are angling for leadership of the party, as impostors.

The group, led by former NLC chairman in the state, John Ushie, reportedly held a media event in the state capital and insinuated that a new executive committee of LP had been formed in the state.

However, in a statement signed by Dr. Ofem Lekam Ujong, State Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, the party affirmed that Ogar Osim remains their State Chairman.

“We strongly call on the gentlemen of the press to uphold the ethics of objectivity, news balancing, and fairness while dealing with the impostors and to protect the general public from becoming victims of their illegal and mischievous activities.

“Ordinarily, we would as usual ignore what we consider to be an anecdote meant to entertain the general public, but for the sake of our passionate and committed members who might become victims of these impostors, we strongly call on the authorities to investigate the activities and motives of these desperados, whose main aim is to deceive gullible members of the public in view of the forthcoming Local Council elections.”

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The statement recalled that during the general elections last year, the same group allegedly impersonated the leadership of LP in the state.

It claimed that the group reportedly deceived the general public and even went ahead to produce candidates through an illegal primary they conducted at their office.

“At the end, none of those produced through their illegal primaries were recognized by INEC. They have risen again to deceive more innocent citizens.

“It is necessary to state clearly that there is no vacuum in the Labour Party Cross River State as the current Chairman, Patriarch Ogar Osim, and his team of executives were duly elected at a congress monitored and documented by INEC in March 2022 for a four-year tenure, as enshrined in the party’s constitution in Article 16, Subsection 1, which says, ‘All National and State Officers of the Party shall hold office for a period of 4 years per tenure and a maximum of 2 tenures per member for the respective office.’”