Obingwa LGA Mayor, Eric Egwuibe, has come under fire from Labour Party chieftains for allegedly sidelining Governor Alex Otti and the party at a state-funded event. Stakeholders have expressed displeasure over Egwuibe’s failure to acknowledge the governor’s contributions, fueling a political crisis in the area.
The political landscape in Obingwa Local Government Area, Abia State, is currently engulfed in turmoil, with Labour Party chieftains up in arms against Mayor Eric Egwuibe. At the center of the controversy lies the accusation that Egwuibe deliberately excluded Governor Alex Otti and the Labour Party from recognition during a recent state-funded event.
The event, hosted by Mayor Egwuibe, has sparked outrage among Labour Party stakeholders, who claim that despite being sponsored with LGA funds, Governor Otti’s achievements and the party’s name were conspicuously absent from the program. This omission has ignited a fierce disagreement within the party, with key figures questioning the mayor’s loyalty to the governor and the party.
In a video circulating online, Labour Party chieftain Chief Lawrence Charles Nwangwa confronted Mayor Egwuibe during the event, expressing shock that neither the governor nor the Labour Party was mentioned. “How can you organize such an event, funded with state resources, and not recognize the governor or the party? This is the highest level of disdain,” Nwangwa stated.
The backlash doesn’t stop there. Many Labour Party members in Obingwa, speaking anonymously, accuse the mayor of diverting attention away from the party’s core supporters. They allege that instead of empowering Labour Party loyalists in the LGA, Egwuibe has been aligning himself with individuals known for undermining the state’s development.
Responding to Nwangwa during the event, Egwuibe insisted that it was a non-partisan gathering and that mentioning the governor or the Labour Party was unnecessary. However, Nwangwa and other party leaders insist that, regardless of the event’s nature, it is disrespectful not to acknowledge the state governor, especially when the event is sponsored with public funds.
“The PDP would never host a state-funded event and fail to recognize the governor or his party,” Nwangwa added, highlighting the gravity of Egwuibe’s actions. “Egwuibe has failed Governor Otti and Labour Party in Obingwa,” he concluded.
As the rift deepens, other party members are calling for Egwuibe to apologize to Governor Otti and the Labour Party leadership, warning that failure to do so could widen the divide within the party in Obingwa.
