Factional Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in Cross River State, Mr. Godwin Amoikwen, has threatened to sue the factional leader, Ogar Osim, for alleged impersonation, forgery and perjury.
This is coming on the heels of disagreements over the authentic candidates to represent the party in the forthcoming 2023 general elections from the state.
Embroiled in a factional war since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) kicked off activities for the 2023 general elections, Amoikwen and Osim had been at loggerheads over who is the authentic state chairman of the party.
Amoikwen, who is currently the Political Commission Chairman and former Secretary of the party, alleged that Osim was parading himself as the state chairman, insisting that based on the principle of succession, he succeeded the former Chairman, Mr. Joseph Inde, who left for a higher calling.
According to him, in 2020, he was appointed by the former State Chairman of Organised Labour to act in interim capacity, pending the conduct of congresses.
Amoikwen alleged that Osim fraudulently used placeholders on the list submitted to INEC with the motive of selling party tickets to the highest bidders during the windows for substitution of candidates.
He said: “I am monitoring Osim closely and will have him jailed for impersonation, forgery and perjury at the appropriate time.”
On the rejection of the list of candidates produced by Organised Labour, he explained: “After receiving Osim into the party and provided him the necessary materials to help him work, we wanted to harmonise our structures being that winning elections requires unity of purpose; we invited him for series of meetings, which he declined. He gave us one flimsy excuse or the other.”
“Seeing that he was not forthcoming, and deadline for the notification of INEC for the conduct of primaries was close, we were compelled to invite INEC and other relevant stakeholders to witness primary elections to be conducted by us. We had successful primaries, which produced verifiable candidates. We learnt that he later gathered nine persons at his office in Ambo and conducted a charade of a primary that produced over 40 candidates who are his placeholders.”
When contacted to react on the alleged threat, Osim simply said the party is on a peace talk. He noted that soon, every misunderstanding would be resolved.
