The Labour Party has set up a three-person committee aimed at improving its relationship with its members in the National Assembly.
The move is part of ongoing efforts to foster lasting unity within the party.
The LP’s national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
He explained that the committee’s formation is designed to ensure long-term harmony in the party.
Ben Etanabene has been appointed as the head of the committee, which also includes Mathew Nworgu and Chinedu Obika. The committee was inaugurated by the LP’s national chairman, Julius Abure, on Monday at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
During the inauguration, Mr. Abure emphasized the committee’s role in engaging with LP lawmakers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. He tasked them with addressing any differences between the party and its representatives in the National Assembly.
“We entrust you with this important assignment of bringing together all our members in the National Assembly, both in the Senate and House of Representatives. This is for the purpose of bridging the gaps and resolving all issues that may have existed. There is a need for all our members, about 40 of you, to be on the same page with the party leadership. You are our ambassadors at the National Assembly, and we are proud of some of you and the values you have exhibited. But we think there are still some gaps that need to be plugged, hence the urgency for this assignment,” Mr. Abure said.
The national chairman also expressed confidence that the committee would complete its task within two weeks and report back to the party leadership. “We can assure you that the party will do all it can to ensure that enduring truce is achieved within the party and particularly with a key stakeholder such as the NASS caucus,” he added.
In response, Mr. Etanabene assured the party that the committee was committed to taking the assignment seriously.
The move comes after several LP members in the National Assembly defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing internal party issues as the reason for their departure. Notably, four LP legislators in the House of Representatives defected in one sitting, with all of them pointing to the crisis within the party as the primary reason for their decision. The lawmakers involved were Chinedu Okere (Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/Owerri West), Mathew Donatus (Kaura), Akiba Bassey (Calabar Municipal/Odukpani), and Esosa Iyawe (Oredo).
