- * As Party's Guber Candidate Accuses Him Of Anti-party Activities
By David Odama (In Lafia, Nasarawa State)
Chairman of the Nasarawa State Chapter of the Labour Party (LP), Alexander Emmanuel, on Sunday, denied news reports that his party is currently in crisis, following allegations of anti-party conduct levelled against him by the governorship candidate of the party in the state, Mr Joseph Ewuga.
Emmanuel said the report was a ruse, as Labour Party in Nasarawa state under his watch was not in any crisis situation whatsoever, rather, the party, he said, was strategizing on how it would take over power at both the federal and state levels in 2023 general elections.
The party chairman said at a news conference in Lafia on Sunday afternoon, October 16, 2022, that such allegation of misconduct against him was baseless.
He blamed those behind the story for insinuating that the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Nasarawa State was behind the allegation that he is causing disunity in the party and engaging in anti-party activities which were capable of reducing the chances of the party emerging victorious in the 2023 polls.
While dismissing the news report, Emmanuel said the peddlers of the allegation are just mischief makers who were unhappy with the progress the party has made in Nasarawa state.
“The Labour Party in Nasarawa State is not in any crisis. Infact, we are working towards winning our elections at the federal and state levels in 2023. But because some people are not happy about our progress, they decided to tell lies that we are not united and that I was involved in anti-party activities.
“They approached our governorship candidate, Joseph Ewuga, for an interview and all he said during the interview was misinterpreted on their media platforms so that they can give the party a bad name. From all indications, they are being sponsored by other political parties in the state to cause disaffection among leaders of the Labour Party.
“It is very clear that they misquoted the governorship candidate because we do not have any misunderstanding. We even held a meeting on Saturday where we discussed and shared ideas on how our party will emerge victorious in 2023, which is an indication that we are united. So, the mischief makers should steer clear from us. We are focused on the coming elections", the party chairman stated.
Responding to the Labour Party (LP) Chairman's denial of the alleged crisis, his alleged accuser, the party's gubernatorial flagbearer, Joseph Ewuga, however blamed the media for what he described as their misleading reports. He stated that his relationship with the party chairman is very cordial and ‘heavenly’.
Ewuga said: “I do not have any issues with the state LP chairman. We have been working together for the good of our party. It is sad that what I said during the interview was misinterpreted".
Meanwhile, news report emerged on Saturday that crisis had erupted in the Nasarawa State chapter of the Labour Party (LP), ahead of 2023 elections, over allegation of anti-party behavior against the State Chapter Chairman of the party, Alexander Emmanuel.
The allegation was said to have been levelled against the chairman by the governorship candidate of the party, Joseph Ewuga, who, according to the trending reports, had accused the chairman of promoting activities detrimental to the chances of the party winning elections in the state.
Ewuga was also reported to have accused the party chairman of shopping for alternative candidate for the party. Besides, the report quoted Ewuga as alleging that the chairman has been romancing with other political parties in the state against the interest of the Labour Party in the state.
The party's gubernatorial flagbearer allegedly claimed that the attitude of the chairman was not only becoming inimical to the party’s interest, but also dangerous to the success of the presidential candidate of the party, Mr Peter Obi, at the polls.
Ewuga allegedly stated in the said report that while the party is making significant progress through grassroots mobilisation and sensitization, which has enhanced it’s membership drive, the Chairman in Nasarawa state, has abandoned his party and was allegedly working with the ruling APC and other interest groups against Labour Party because some of his relatives are allegedly seeking elections in APC.
"The acceptability rating of the party in Nasarawa state has been overwhelming as a result of the doggedness of the candidate and other members, coupled with the recent one million match in the state, which was my brainchild, and has been giving both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sleepless nights.
"But the anti-party activities of the chairman is fast reducing the rising profile of the party in the state. He is feathering his own nest by going round to negotiate with other political parties behind key stakeholders", the said report quoted the governorship candidate, Ewuga, to have said.
The report also alleged that Ewuga had given instance of how the state's Labour Party chairman was allegedly hosted in Jos, Plateau State, recently, by a candidate of one of the political parties in the race for the 2023 governorship election in Nasarawa state. He was also said to have accused the chairman of refusing to carry him and others along in the partie's activities.
The impunged report however quoted Ewuga of alleging that the chairman has severally attempted to replace him with another person as governorship candidate of the party before the window was closed for candidate's substitution by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). NNL.
