A long-running dispute between two sections of the Labour Party (LP) in Cross River State about who should be recognized by the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) culminated in a violent altercation.
Dr. Ekong Boco, the chairman of CROSIEC, called a conference of interested parties to announce the procedures leading up to the state’s local government council elections on October 25, 2024.
Comrade John Ushie, the former chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, who was appointed head of the caretaker committee for three months by his faction last week, confirmed his attendance at the meeting.
He said that since his exco had already prepared for the polls, CROSIEC should handle his case.
However, Ogar Osim told CROSIEC not to acknowledge the John Ushie-led exco, claiming that they were forgeries and imposters.
“I am the state’s legitimately elected chairman of LP. According to our party’s constitution, I will be out of office in 2026.
“These folks are frauds. They are pretenders. He answered, “Our constitution does not know them.”
To avoid turmoil in the processes running up to the Council elections in the state’s 18 LGAs, he cautioned CROSIEC to be cautious of impersonators.
A confrontation was on the verge of breaking out when CROSIEC chose to give party chairmen control over the election schedule.
However, one of the factions suggested giving it to the IPAC Chairman to stop future altercations.
In the Cross River State gubernatorial election held last year, LP finished in second place.
