Labour Party disowns appointment of presidential campaign spokesman

LP National Chairman, Comrade Julius Abure

The Labour Party (LP) has rejected the appointment of Mr Charles Odibo as Director of Media and Communications for its presidential campaign.

At a media briefing on Thursday, the leader of the National Consultative Front (NCF), Prof. Pat Utomi had announced Odibo as leader of the communication team for the LP campaign.

Utomi said Odibo would lead a communications team that is “professional, passionate and committed to the Nigerian people, and that is focused on what matters than the kind of communication we tend to see generated in some of our efforts to communicate political positions”.

He described Odibo as having “enormous experience in dealing with branding, in dealing with targeted communication, and in dealing with media in general. Charles has done this for leading organisations in the private sector, created some iconic brands. He is going to be supported by some of our colleagues from the media”.

However, in a statement on Saturday by LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Arabambi Abayomi, said the NCF has no constitutional power to make appointments for the party.

He said only the LP’s National Chairman, Comrade Julius Abure has the power to make such appointment.

“It is not undisputed that LP has not made such appointment since Utomi, who is the leader of NCF, cannot usurp the function of the National Chairman.

“For the records, Utomi, who is the leader of the NCF, a strong affiliate of the LP, while in a Zoom meeting, introduced Charles Odibo as the media head of the ‘Big Tent’, an acronym for the NCF and no mention of LP was made on that platform.

“All appointments by the LP are made through the office of the National Chairman and announcement made by the National Publicity Secretary under the directive of the National Chairman”.

Abayomi cited Article 14 Subsection 1(a) of the party’s Constitution which he said gave only the National Chairman the right to make appointments.