The Labour Party on Wednesday suspended Abia State Governor Alex Otti and five lawmakers in the National Assembly for alleged actions that go against the party’s interest.
The decision was made after the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) received and reviewed a report from a disciplinary panel.
The committee, which was formed on May 2, was tasked with looking into accusations of disloyalty involving the governor and several lawmakers.
The affected lawmakers are Senator Ireti Kingibe, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, Hon. Amobi Ogah, and Hon. Seyi Sowunmi.
According to the leadership of the party’s Julius Abure-led faction, all six individuals have been barred from participating in any party activity indefinitely.
The statement added that relevant bodies, including the National Assembly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and security agencies, have been notified.
While explaining the names involved, the party mentioned that Nenadi Usman, who was named caretaker chairman by the faction loyal to former presidential candidate Peter Obi, was left out of the suspended list.
The reason given was that she is not a registered member of the party.
The party stated that she belongs to a support group that backed Obi during the last election, not the Labour Party itself.
The statement also accused Nenadi Usman of switching allegiance to another political party recently, questioning her intentions and loyalty.
The party further raised concerns about her public remarks, claiming she lacks the credibility to speak on corruption.
They pointed to past investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and her alleged involvement in financial misconduct.
The Labour Party also responded to rumours of possible political alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.
The party insisted it will not join any coalition or merger, stating that those pushing for such arrangements do not have the ability to manage such partnerships.
The leadership confirmed that the party’s finances are in order, noting that their financial records were recently audited and found to be clean by INEC’s independent auditors.
The statement made it clear that the Labour Party plans to remain independent and will contest the next general elections on its own terms.
