About 13 governorship aspirants have signaled interest to vie for the governorship ticket of the Labour party in Imo State amidst surging altercations over the state leadership of the party.
A new caretaker committee led by Mr. FBI Onyekwulisi, was inaugurated last week, but the out-gone executives led by Mr. Fabian Onyekwere claimed to secured a court order that reinstated him.
However, this newspaper gathered that despite the rumbles in the party, more governorship hopefuls have continued to pick the party’s governorship Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms.
They include Gen Jackson Ogunewe (retd), a one-time military attaché to the United Nations, UN, serial governorship aspirants, Martin Agbaso, Humphrey Anumudu and Ike. C. Ibe.
Others are Attorney Charles Onyirimba, Captain David Mbamara, former Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Kelechi Nwagwu, Senator Athan Achonu, Basil Maduka, Ikechukwu Ukaegbu.
The date for the party’s governorship primary is unknown.
However, despite the scramble for the party’s governorship forms, there are concerns over internal crisis gradually rearing its ugly head.
Trouble began when Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the party removed the Onyekwere led State Executive Committee and appointed a new caretaker committee.
Onyekwulisi, on assumption of office had signaled the party’s readiness to sack Governor Hope Uzodimma from Government House, Owerri, in the November 11, 2023 governorship election.
However, Onyekwere approached High Court in Owerri, to challenge his removal from office.
In a notice to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC, Imo State he said the “High Court of Imo State has issued an order for the maintenance of status quo in the matter of the purported dissolution of the State Working Committee and alleged appointment of a Caretaker Committee for the Labour party Imo State chapter”
