From: FRED ITUA, Abuja

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of Labour Party who represents  Delta Central in the Senate, has distanced himself from the leadership tussle rocking the party.

In a press statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Wednesday, the federal lawmaker said the current factional leadership crisis  was not instigated by him, as rumoured by some aggrieved members of the party.

Said he, “Sequel to resolutions reached on Monday by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, Comrade Atare Bobo Adou is now the Acting National Chairman of Labour Party, while Barrister Akingbade Oyelekan is the Acting National Secretary. We also know that the NEC suspended/removed Alhaji Abubakar Abulkadir Salam from office as the Chairman of the party.

“NEC also suspended some other officials of the party. We know too that over 15 (of the about 22) members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party endorsed the said decisions of the NEC. These are facts,” he cleared in the statement.

Explaining further, he noted in the statement: “In our opinion, this approach to the serious crisis in the party is grossly irresponsible and diversionary. Blaming Senator Omo-Agege for the collective decisions taken by over 15 NWC adults and tens of other adult NEC members only emphasises Salam’s poor leadership offering in LP.

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“Let it be very clear that Senator Omo-Agege did not instigate the division in LP. It is Alhaji Salam’s very questionable and poor leadership methods that have thrown LP into this factional crisis. Indeed, Alhaji Salam persistently prevailed on Senator Omo-Agege to dissuade the NEC members from removing him as LP’s National Chairman. However, Senator Omo-Agege could not do that because the NEC members were determined to clean the party, particularly given the allegations against Salam.

“We note that it was particularly difficult for Senator Omo-Agege to save Alhaji Salam because we believe he (Salam) places his personal interests above party interests. His Chairmanship of LP was characterised by serious injustices to candidates of the Party. LP’s candidate’s elections petitions across the country were arbitrarily withdrawn because they could not afford to give bribes. Indeed, Salam once personally threatened to withdraw Senator Omo-Agege’s election petition from the Election Tribunal in Asaba (after the 2015 general election) because the senator refused to be blackmailed to satisfy Salam’s personal desires.

“Alhaji Salam ran a party that was always bent on sacrificing the party’s interests on the altar of troubling and greedy demands. These particularly made it rather difficult to stop the NEC’s responsible and bold move to clean the party.

“Therefore, we make bold to state that Senator Omo-Agege could not help Alhaji Salam to remain because Salam’s leadership of the Party is tainted. A wise leader will show restraint at this time. It is therefore important to advise Salam to face the crisis in LP as an adult.

“He has to stop crying like a baby with the Senator’s name. On whether his media comments against Senator Omo-Agege are libellous or legally harmful, we have asked our lawyers for advice. That advice will determine our next steps. There are always consequences for irresponsibility. This will not be an exception.”