The Labour Party, LP, has again changed the venue for its proposed national convention from Umuahia, Abia State to Nnewi, Anambra State over fear of disruption.
DAILY POST reports that it may not be unconnected to the leadership crisis rocking the party.
The party had in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, signed by the national chairman and secretary, Julius Abure and Umar Ibrahim, informed the commission of the new venue.
The letter reads in part, “We write to kindly refer you to our letter on the above subject matter in which our National Convention rescheduled for 27th of March 2024 at the International Conference Center Umuahia, Abia State.
“We are, however, constrained to change the venue as a result of non-availability of the proposed venue on the scheduled date. We kindly request you to be present and monitor the convention.”
A top party official told Daily Trust last night that “The convention could not be held in Abuja due to the fear of likely disruption by the ‘Obidients’ and this would also make it extremely difficult for our national chairman (Abure) to win another term in office.”
He said the ‘Obidients’ insisted it should be held in Anambra to honour Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election.
But the National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, yesterday, said the change of venue was not because of fear of disruption.
This is the second time the party has changed the venue of the convention slated for March 27.
The party had earlier scheduled the national convention for March 29 in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
It later changed the venue from Benin to Umuahia, the Abia State capital and now it’s Nnewi, in Anambra State.