…Chairman bickers, threatens legal action.
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A alleged misunderstanding between Kaduna State Labour Party (LP) Chairman, Hon. Auwal Tafoki, and LP Member representing Chikun/Kajuru federal constituency, Hon. Ekene A. Adams, has been blamed on media report.
Some national dailies and online media had earlier reported that LP state chairman, Hon. Tafoki, and his executive members were not invited for the empowerment programme organised by the Rep Member, Hon. Ekene, in Kaduna State.
Recalled that Hon. Ekene recently organised an empowerment programme in his constituency in which transformers, cars, and motorcycles were distributed to party supporters and cash awards of N150,000 each given to LP, PDP and APC ward chairmen in his constituency.
Following the report, a paper was presented by one Eld. Yusuf Solomon Danbaki, which dwelt extensively on “An analysis of the misunderstanding between Hon. Ekene and the Labour Party chairman (implications, solutions and way forward).”
The paper, according to the background study, indicated that, “Political parties all over the world experienced similar misunderstandings and conflicts. In fact, conflicts within political parties are quite common and can arise due to various reasons, such as differences in ideology, leadership style, personal ambitions, and disagreements over party strategy or policy.
“These conflicts can manifest in different ways, such as public disagreements between party leaders, internal power struggles, and divisions within the party.
“Social media has also made it easier for conflicts within political parties to become public, as supporters and members can express their opinions and grievances online,” it stated.
However, the presenter stressed that “It is important for political parties to have mechanisms in place to manage conflicts and resolve misunderstandings in a constructive and respectful manner.
“This can include conflict resolution processes, clear communication channels, and guidelines on how to address conflicts within the party. Overall, while conflicts within political parties are common, it is important for parties to promote unity and collaboration among their members, in order to achieve their goals and objectives,” elder Danbaki noted.
He went further that, the current problems in Nigeria was lack of communication and unity within political parties itself.
“This is exemplified by the recent incident involving Hon. Ekene and his party chairman, where the chairman was not invited to an event, despite being a leader of the political party in the State.
“The chairman, on the other hand, did not explore nor exhaust the internal mechanism of the party to resolve the conflict and took his grievances to the public domain.
“This lack of inclusivity and disregard for party hierarchy as well as internal communication gap has led to public backlash and insults towards the chairman on social media.
“This incident highlights a larger issue of political parties in Nigeria being plagued by internal conflicts and disunity, which ultimately hinders their ability to effectively govern and represent their constituents,” he said.
Reacting with anger of the presentation forwarded to our reporter through social media, the state LP chairman stated that the earlier media reports created animosity between him and Hon. Ekene and his supporters.
According to him, the newsman, who contacted him to get his reaction on why state LP exco was not invited for the empowerment programme, did not seek his permission before going to the press with his reaction.
“Your publication has created a lot of animosity between me the Hon. Member and his supporters. Kindly publish an unreserved apologies so that we can move forward, if not I will have no OPTION than to take legal action.
“Look, you never mentioned to me that you are going to publish my personal chat with my right has to be respected,” LP chairman reacted.
In its literature review, the paper noted that “There are several studies and articles that have explored the issue of conflicts within political parties, particularly conflicts between party leaders and other members of the party so numerous to mention.”
He however advised that party leaders should avoid actions or statements that could further escalate conflict or damage the reputation of the Labour Party.
“Finally, the resolution of the conflict between Hon. Ekene and the party chairman should serve as an example of strong leadership and a commitment to the values and principles of the Labour Party.
“It should promote a culture of mutual respect and collaboration within the party, and ultimately contribute to the success of the party in achieving its goals and objectives,” he stated.
