The National Consultative Front and Coalition of Human Rights Organisations in the South-East have condemned the Chairman, South-East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, for threatening members of Labour Party (LP) in his state.
The group accused Governor Umahi of using the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyalists and henchmen to interfere in internal affairs of LP.
The accusation was contained in a communique issued in Enugu after a meeting of the South-East leadership of NCFRONT (otherwise known as The Third Force) and coalition of human rights organizations on Friday.
The coalition argued that the governor was doing everything in his power to make sure that the LP candidate in the state Splendor Eze, does not function as the LP governorship flagbearer, even when the court has recognised Eze as the authentic candidate.
The communique reads, “That Comrade Splendour Eze is the authentic Governorship Candidate of Labour Party in Ebonyi State.
“That despite the ruling by the Federal High Court Abakaliki in favour of Splendor Eze in the aforementioned matter, His Excellency, the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi continued to interfere in the Internal Affairs of Labour party through his APC loyalists in the state.
“That as a law abiding organisation, the NCFRONT and the coalition of Human Right Organisations in the South-East totally support the candidature of Splendor Eze and call on the National Secretariat of Labour Party and INEC to publish the name of Splendor Eze as the bona fide Governorship candidate of Labour Party for the 2023 Elections in Ebonyi State.
“That the Civil Society Group and NCFRONT South-East discovered that there is no substantive Labour Party Executives from ward to state level in Ebonyi State and resolved that the Governorship Candidate, Splendor Eze, the Ebonyi State Labour Congress and the leadership of NCFRONT should be authorised by the National Secretariat of Labour Party to immediately inaugurate the state, Local Government and Ward Executives of the Party in the state.
“As a critical support backbone of Labour Party at all levels, we urge the national office to resolve the contentious issues in Ebonyi State to avoid cogwheeling the smooth synergy existing between the coalition and the labour party in Ebonyi.
“The coalition is not unmindful of the antics of one Arc. Edward Nkwegu (aka Edom), who is fronting for the governor and making desperate attempt to destabilise the party through subterfuge and unwinding monetary inducement.
“The coalition insists it will not support any candidate in the state whose emergence negates the principles of moral and natural justice for which the Labour Party and its critical support base, which the coalition represents, are known.”
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