The ongoing conflict over the legitimate leadership of the Labour Party (LP) in Cross River State reached a boiling point when two rival factions clashed over which should be recognized by the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC).
The Chairman of CROSIEC, Dr. Ekong Boco, had convened a stakeholders’ meeting to outline the processes leading to the local government council elections, scheduled for October 25, 2024.
At the meeting, Comrade John Ushie, a former chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, who had recently been appointed by his faction as the chairman of a caretaker committee, made his presence known. He asserted that CROSIEC should engage with him, claiming that his faction was prepared for the upcoming elections.
However, Ogar Osim, another faction leader, urged CROSIEC not to acknowledge Ushie’s group, branding them as impostors. “I am the duly elected chairman of the LP in the state. My tenure, as stipulated by our party’s constitution, runs until 2026,” Osim stated. He warned CROSIEC to be cautious of those attempting to impersonate the legitimate leadership, emphasizing that failure to do so could lead to disorder in the election process across the 18 local government areas of the state.
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Tensions heightened when CROSIEC prepared to distribute the election timetable to the party leaders, prompting a near confrontation between the two factions. To prevent further conflict, one of the factions suggested that the timetable be handed over to the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) chairman instead.
The Labour Party had previously secured second place in the 2023 governorship election in Cross River State, adding weight to the current leadership dispute.
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