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Tag: Julius Abure

  • 2027: Abure’s camp willing to give Obi LP presidential candidate slot

    2027: Abure’s camp willing to give Obi LP presidential candidate slot

    The Julius Abure-led National Working Committee of the Labour Party says it is excited with the prospect of having the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, run again on the party’s platform in 2027.

    The LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, disclosed this in an interview with journalists.

    He spoke on the backdrop of Obi’s declaration at the weekend that he intends to pursue his 2027 presidential ambition on the LP platform

    The LP is currently factionalised, with Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, backing Nenadi Usman to oust Abure from the party’s leadership position.

    A recent Supreme Court judgment on the party’s leadership tussle did little to clarify or resolve the question of who the legitimate leader is.
    However, the Independent National Electoral Commission affirmed the candidate put forward by the Abure camp for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election.

    In spite of the leadership tussle, Obi declared he remained in the LP and would run for president on the party’s platform in 2027.

    Asked for Abure’s reaction to Obi’s declaration, Ifoh said, “We are excited about the news. If we have waited all these while for two years with all the things that happened, we can still wait for tomorrow and the next, for the whole thing to crystallise. Then we can now begin to talk about the way forward.

    “Let me start by saying politics is all about interest. The interest of every Nigerian, including the Labour Party, is to have a government that can help Nigerians come out of the doldrums and not enter into more crises, whether political, social or economic.

    “I believe there are so many Nigerians who have that capacity and who can also help Nigeria come out. In 2023, we gave Peter Obi the ticket and he didn’t disappoint. Rather, the system disappointed them.”

    When asked if Obi had reached out to Abure, Ifoh said the channel of communication between the duo was open.

    According to him, the former Anambra governor still frequently has discussions with Abure despite the cold war between both parties.

    “Well, as I said elsewhere, the line of communication is not completely blocked. There are talks, though not formal. But before the 2027 poll, don’t forget that we have Anambra elections a few months from now.

    “Obi is from Anambra and we expect him to play a key role in making sure that the Labour Party wins the state. So, there has been rapprochement here and there. I think at the right time, the parties will meet and thrash all the differences. From there, we’ll move on.

    “If he so wishes, as he said, that he will run the next election under the Labour Party, I think it’s a good thing for us in the party. It’s a win-win situation for everyone and we wait to see how we act the talk,” he added.

    Obi’s declaration however seems to be having a ripple effect in the camp of the opposition coalition championed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

    When contacted for a reaction, a key stakeholder of the coalition and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal expressed surprise at Obi’s statement.

    “I don’t know what is in his mind. You need to ask Obi himself when you see him.

    “I just read it today too that he will be contesting in LP,” he stated.

    The development comes in the wake of Obi’s assurance to his supporters that he will contest the 2027 presidential election in the Labour Party.

    Obi made this known while addressing some of his supporters in a viral video circulating on social media on Saturday.

    Asked which party he intends to contest in the 2027 elections, Obi said, “I will still continue to run in the Labour Party. I’m a member of the Labour Party.”

    The former governor also blamed the crisis in political parties on the Nigerian government.

    He said, “What is happening in the Labour Party and the PDP is caused by the government, quote me anywhere.

    “We had a problem in our party before, in the past. Yar’Adua was the President. I went to him then; he called the INEC chairman (Prof. Maurice Iwu) and told him I don’t want any problem in any party. We were forced to fix it.

    “But today, in all the parties, there are problems; these are deliberate problems caused by the system. These are some of the things I want to clean up if I have the opportunity.

    “Parties will function very well because you can’t have a system working without a strong opposition.”

    Obi charged Nigerians to take responsibility for ensuring that their votes count because even if agents are paid by political parties to look after their interests, the ultimate decision about whether the people’s votes count rests with voters.

    The former governor also appealed to Nigerian youths and the electorate not to be discouraged because positive change will also be resisted by those who are beneficiaries of the old order.

    The ex-presidential candidate also stated that there should be a retirement age for politicians seeking public office.

    Obi said that by the time the 2027 election holds, he would be 65 years old, adding that he would not want to be contesting for elections in his 70s.

  • LP ‘wahala’: NLC throws weight behind Nenadi against Abure

    LP ‘wahala’: NLC throws weight behind Nenadi against Abure

    Two of the three camps that are neck-deep in the supremacy battle – the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), led by Comrade Joe Ajaero and the National Caretaker Committee (NCC), led by Senator Esther Nenadi-Usman, joined forces against the National Working Committee (NWC), led by the factional Chairman, Julius Abure.

    Ajaero attended the LP stakeholders’ meeting presided over by Senator Nenadi-Usman in Abuja, where key resolutions geared towards the restructuring of the party were approved by the National Executive Council (NEC).

    The meeting was also attended by the representatives of Abia State Governor Alex Otti and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi.

    Also, at the meeting were: NLC General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja; Women Commission Chairperson Salamatou Aliu; Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman Comrade SOZ Ejiofor; Secretary, Comrade Salisu Mohammed and representatives of the TUC President, General.

    It was the first meeting of the decision making organ after the Supreme Court’s judgment on the protracted leadership crisis.

    According to the communiqué, the NEC approved the expansion of the National Working Committee (NWC) and the processes that would lead to an all-inclusive national convention within 90 days.

    Other resolutions included the opening of a new national secretariat in Abuja, nationwide mobilisation of 10 million members within 30 days and the conduct of ward, local government, and state congresses, followed by delegate elections.

    The communiqué reads: “NEC approved the expansion of the National Working Committee (NWC) structures, and the processes leading to the conduct of the All Inclusive And Expansive National Convention within 90 days in line with the consent judgment terms of settlement midwifed by INEC on 26th April 2022 and executed between the NLC and LP on June 27, 2022.

    “These include the appointment of three (3) Deputy National Chairmen to Deputize the National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Esther Usman in the National Working Committee (NWC) transition government, National Caretaker Committee (NCC).

    “The appointment of three (3) Deputy National Secretaries to Deputize the National Secretary, Senator Darlington Nwokocha.

    “The appointment of the National Working Committee (NWC) members to fill vacancies in the National Working Committee (NWC) National Caretaker Committee (NCC)

    “The formation of Standing and Ad-hoc Committees and its membership to augment process of the congresses leading to the conduct of the all-inclusive and expansive National Convention within 90 days.

    “NEC approved the opening and operations of the new Labour Party (LP) National Secretariat in Abuja, FCT, immediately and to communicate same to INEC to enforce the shutting down of the old National Secretariat at No.2 IBM Haruna Street Utako District Abuja FCT immediately.

    “It will thereafter commence the immediate nationwide national mobilisation of ten million (10,000,000) members into the party data base within thirty (30) days; the deployment of online registration for membership with issuance of downloadable membership cards with unique identification number system and hard copies; the revalidation of old membership with issuance of downloadable membership cards with unique identification number system and hard copies, the ratification of membership with payment of annual membership subscription dues of N1,200 only; and the registration of Support Group and issuance of downloadable Support Group Registration Certificates with unique identification number systems.”

  • Labour party factions clash again amid intensifying leadership crisis

    Labour party factions clash again amid intensifying leadership crisis

    The internal crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) has escalated further, as the faction led by former Finance Minister Nenadi Usman has approached the Federal High Court in Zamfara to stop the party’s national chairman, Julius Abure, from presenting himself as the LP’s leader.

    The Usman-led National Caretaker Committee (NCC), backed by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and other senior officials, filed an ex parte motion through ally Alhaji Sule Garba (Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/30/2025) to bar both Abure and the party’s national secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, from acting on behalf of the Labour Party.

    However, on May 15, Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim declined to grant the requested interim order, ruling that all parties involved including Abure, Ibrahim, the LP itself, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nmust be served notice before any further proceedings. The judge ordered an expedited hearing and adjourned the matter to June 4, 2025.

    This latest legal move comes weeks after the Supreme Court, in a July 4 ruling, advised that political parties should resolve internal disputes through their own mechanisms rather than relying on the courts. Despite that ruling, both the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) and the Usman-led NCC have refused to relinquish their respective claims to the party’s leadership.

    Reacting to the development, Labour Party National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, criticized the actions of the Otti/Usman faction, calling their approach “desperate.”

    “We are shocked that some leaders are going to great lengths—shopping for court orders across the country—to create chaos within the party and disrupt INEC’s recognition of our leadership. They even traveled overnight to Zamfara to obtain a ruling, but the court denied their request,” Ifoh said.

    He added: “This isn’t the first time they’ve tried this. They attempted something similar in Aba last year and were also rejected. It’s unfortunate that some of our members are fixated on internal power struggles while other political parties are already preparing seriously for the 2027 elections.”

    Ifoh further emphasized that the Supreme Court had not removed Julius Abure from his position as national chairman, nor had it declared Nenadi Usman as his replacement. He also noted that INEC had dismissed the legitimacy of the stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia where Usman was declared chair.

    “We appeal to our aggrieved members to respect the Supreme Court’s ruling and uphold the unity of the party,” Ifoh concluded.

    Meanwhile, the Usman-led NCC has yet to respond publicly to this latest episode. However, it has recently launched a disciplinary panel to review Abure’s tenure—a move that prompted the Abure-led NWC to swiftly suspend Governor Otti and several other top members of the party.

    The ongoing conflict signals a deepening rift within the Labour Party, raising concerns about its cohesion and preparedness ahead of future political contests.

  • If I open my mouth, they will smell like rotten eggs – Abure threatens to expose Obi, Otti

    If I open my mouth, they will smell like rotten eggs – Abure threatens to expose Obi, Otti

    Julius Abure, the Labour Party National Chairman, has threatened to expose the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi and other former aspirants.

    Abure in a video broadcast by Symfoni on Tuesday, addressed party members in the Federal Capital Territory and responded to ongoing corruption allegations within the party’s leadership, where he demanded those behind the allegations to provide evidence of any money allegedly given to him or the party during the last general elections.

    Abure in his statement denied receiving any funds for personal use from any of the party’s candidates, including Obi.

    “I want to challenge all of them—from Peter Obi down that contested the election. Let any of them come out and tell the world what they personally gave to me or to the party,” Abure declared.

    “If they have evidence, let them present it. If they don’t, let them forever hold their peace.”

    He criticized what he described as “cowardly whispers” of corruption and accused detractors of hiding behind the media rather than confronting the party leadership directly.

    The party chairman who hinted at holding a world press conference, promised to publicly expose individuals within the party’s opposing faction, adding that his silence was out of a sense of leadership and the hope for reconciliation, but warned that continued provocation would force him to speak out.

    “When people were talking about agents and money for agents, I kept quiet. I believe that the good, the bad, and the ugly are mine to manage. But now, some are going beyond their boundaries,” he said.

    “I am waiting for them to make the next move. And when I open my mouth, wherever they go, they will smell like rotten eggs that no one will buy.”

    Abure also took a swipe at Abia State Governor Alex Otti—the Labour Party’s only elected governor—accusing him of failing to contribute financially to the party during the elections.

    “Look at the governor that is jumping like a cricket from one point to another. We didn’t collect a dime from him,” he said.

    “When I met him at Transcorp, he asked me, ‘Chairman, what do I do for you?’ I said, ‘Nothing. Use your money for your election.’”

  • NLC planning to invade LP national secretariat -Abure faction alleges

    NLC planning to invade LP national secretariat -Abure faction alleges

    A faction of the Labour Party (LP) led by Julius Abure has raised concerns that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is planning to storm the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. This comes after the Supreme Court ruled on Friday to nullify an Appeal Court decision that had recognized Abure as the LP’s national chairman.

    Following the ruling, Nenadi Usman, head of the LP’s caretaker committee, received support from Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, and Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State, who all praised the judgment. The LP’s House of Representatives caucus also welcomed the decision, calling it a much-needed boost for the party’s “stability and reinvention.”

    The Labour Party is currently grappling with a leadership crisis that has divided the party into competing factions. The NLC, which opposes Abure’s leadership, is at the center of the tensions.

    In a statement released on Sunday, Umar Ibrahim, the party’s national secretary, accused the NLC of mobilizing its members, along with hired thugs and other miscreants, in collaboration with Usman’s committee and the National Transition Committee (NTC) to invade the LP national secretariat. Ibrahim claimed that the invasion is set to take place on Monday, with the intention of stealing sensitive documents and damaging party property.

    “We view this action as highly irresponsible and a sign of desperation on the part of the NLC,” the statement said. “It has the potential to disturb the peace of the Federal Capital Territory.”

    Ibrahim emphasized that the Supreme Court’s April 5, 2025 judgment was clear, affirming that political parties must resolve leadership disputes internally. He pointed out that the ruling did not grant the NLC, the National Caretaker Committee, or any other group the authority to take control of the Labour Party.

    “The judgment only reinforces that the leadership issue within a political party is an internal matter,” Ibrahim added. “There is no legal basis for the NLC or any other group to seize control of the Labour Party. Julius Abure, who was lawfully elected at the party’s convention in March 2024, remains the National Chairman of the Labour Party.”

    He further warned that any attempt to forcibly remove Abure from his position would be met with strong resistance and urged the police and security agencies to ensure the safety and peace of the party’s secretariat.

     

  • Abure still our National Chairman, says Labour Party

    Abure still our National Chairman, says Labour Party

    The Labour Party has officially confirmed that Julius Abure remains its legitimate National Chairman, following a decisive Supreme Court ruling on Friday that dismissed all ongoing legal challenges to his leadership.

    In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party praised the Supreme Court’s verdict, calling it a significant victory for internal party democracy. The Court ruled that matters concerning the leadership of political parties are internal affairs, not subject to judicial interference.

    “The Supreme Court emphasized that lower courts should have refrained from making rulings on the leadership of political parties,” the statement read.

    The ruling nullified Senator Nenadi Usman’s appeal at the Court of Appeal, as well as a related case filed at the trial court. Importantly, it upheld the Court of Appeal’s earlier decision in the case of Labour Party vs Ebiseni & 2 others (CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024), delivered on November 13, 2024, which confirmed Abure as the party’s National Chairman.

    As a result, the Labour Party asserted that there is now no ambiguity surrounding its leadership structure. “The implication is clear—Barrister Julius Abure remains the National Chairman of the Labour Party,” Ifoh affirmed.

    The party also emphasized that the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Abure is the legally recognized leadership, as its formation followed due process as outlined in the Labour Party’s constitution. Furthermore, the national convention held on March 27, 2024, which elected the current leadership, was duly convened and acknowledged by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Addressing rumors surrounding a parallel meeting in Umuahia, the Labour Party dismissed claims of Abure’s removal, labeling such reports as “mischievous and misleading.”

    “The gathering in Umuahia does not align with the party’s constitution. Claims that Abure’s leadership has been dismissed are simply an attempt to mislead the public,” the statement asserted.

    The Labour Party also urged its members to prioritize the party’s internal mechanisms for resolving disputes, rather than resorting to the courts. “We call on all genuine members of the Labour Party to respect the Supreme Court’s judgment and to always use the party’s internal channels for resolving issues. Only political parties have the authority to elect their leaders, not the courts,” Ifoh added.

    In conclusion, the party reiterated that the Supreme Court’s ruling validates the Labour Party’s internal processes and affirms Julius Abure’s position as its duly elected National Chairman.

     

  • LP crisis: Stop parading yourself as LP Chairman- INEC Directs Julius Abure

    LP crisis: Stop parading yourself as LP Chairman- INEC Directs Julius Abure

    Following the crisis rocking the party, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ordered Julius Abure to henceforth stop parading himself as the chairman of Labour Party.

    This was made public in a counter-affidavit filed by Ayuba Mohammed, an Executive Officer in INEC’s Litigation and Prosecution Department, in suit NO. FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024.

    This was in response to a suit by the Labour Party contesting its exclusion from the commission’s refresher training for uploading party agents before the Edo and Ondo gubernatorial elections.

    The development follows the expiration of Abure’s tenure on June 9, 2024, as confirmed by the party’s Board of Trustees Secretary, Salisu Mohammad.

    INEC claimed it did not monitor, participate in, or recognise the purported National Convention of the Labour Party held on March 27, 2024, in Anambra, where Abure claimed to have been re-elected.

    The Commission argued that the convention was conducted in breach of the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, INEC’s regulations and guidelines for political parties 2022, and the Labour Party constitution 2019.

    Citing its regulations, INEC stated that it only deals with valid and subsisting national chairmen and secretaries of political parties in issuing notices and correspondence.

    The Labour Party has been embroiled in a leadership crisis, with Lamidi Apapa declaring himself the “original” chairman, opposing the INEC-recognised Abure faction.

    In a bid to resolve the crisis, the National Executive Committee (NEC) established a 29-man Caretaker Committee, led by Nenadi Usman, to conduct democratic congresses and elect new party leadership at all levels.

    The leadership crisis has sparked concerns about the party’s future, with some members accusing Abure’s leadership of “illegalities” and “corruption”.

     

     

  • Labour Party describes National Chairman, Julius Abure’s suspension as fake

    Labour Party describes National Chairman, Julius Abure’s suspension as fake

    The Labour Party National Working Committee has described the suspension of its national chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, by the executives of Ward 3, in Arue-Uromi, Esan North- East Local Government, as fake

    It would be recalled  that the State Working Committee had on Friday night , May 24, 2024, ratified the purported suspension of the party’s national chairman in Benin City.

    However, in its reaction to the suspension, the National Working Committee of the party on Saturday, May 25, 2024, said its national chairman has not been suspended by the executives of Ward 3, Arue-Uromi, Esan North East of Edo State.

    A statement signed by the national publicity secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, dated May 25, 2024, said the ward chairman of the party,Thompson Ehiguese, lacked the powers under the constitution of the party to either remove or suspend a national chairman.

    Ifoh, added that Thompson Ehiguese, the chairman of the ward has also in a viral video debunked the purported suspension insisting that the ward leadership is loyal to the chairman and also very much aware that it lacks the powers under the constitution of the party to either remove or suspend a national chairman.

    He added, that the ward, local government or even the state have no powers under the constitution to suspend the national chairman.

    “Court of Appeal, Benin Division on the 14th day of August 2023 presided over by Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua in a case brought before it by Lucky Shaibu and others against Julius Abure and others corroborated with the judgement of the lower court in their ruling that the National Chairman of the Labour Party cannot be suspended or removed by the Ward executive,”he said.

    He said the leadership of the party, is, however investigating the source of the purported letter of suspension and will summarily act in accordance with the party rules in disciplining any officer of the party found guilty of contravening the rules of the party.

  • BREAKING! LP’s chairman, Abure survived assassination attempt

    BREAKING! LP’s chairman, Abure survived assassination attempt

    The Labour Party (LP) has claimed that its National Chairman, Julius Abure, has escaped an assassination attempt on his life.

    The opposition party also claimed that Abure’s residence in Abuna was gutted by fire on Wednesday.

    TNG reports this was made known in a statement made available to journalists by the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh.

    He said Abure’s residence was “gutted by a mysterious fire which started a few minutes after 1 am while Abure and the members of his family were asleep.”

    Ifoh’s statement quoted a member of the family who narrated the incident, saying the family was woken up by neighbours and security men living in the compound.

    The statement reads: “The entire family was trapped as the inferno had reached the staircase making it impossible for Abure and family to escape.

    “However, it took divine intervention for the national chairman and his family to escape after neighbours and security men gallantly pulled down one of the windows upstairs making ways for the family to escape.

    “Men of the Fire Service arrived shortly after Abure and his family were evacuated.

    “Abure and his family were rushed to a private hospital where they are presently receiving treatment. Their condition is however stable.”

    Recall that the Labour Party has been engulfed in a leadership crisis, with the Nigerian Labour Congress pushing for the ouster of Abure as National Chairman.

  • BREAKING! Abure reelected LP chairman as Apapa faction heads to court

    BREAKING! Abure reelected LP chairman as Apapa faction heads to court

    …suit fixed for April 4th

    Labour Party National Chairman, Mr Julius Abure has been re-elected to steer the ship of the party for another four years despite protest against the holding of the national convention by a section of the party’s faithful.

    The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the party’s national convention that was held on Wednesday in Nnewi, Anambra State.

    Abure’s emergence as Labour Party National Chairman is without the support of Obidients who constitute the fulcrum of Peter Obi’s support in the 2023 presidential election.

    There are whispers that Obi is not in solidarity with Abure who has been locked in a controversy over campaign funds mismanagement as alleged by the now suspended Labour Party national treasurer, Oluchi Oparah, who accused the national chairman of misappropriating N3.5 billion.

    How Labour Party will fare without the support of the Obidients will be closely watched by pundits.

    Meanwhile, the Alh Lamidi Apapa faction of the Labour Party (LP) has described the ongoing national convention of the party today at the Grand Seasons Hotels, Nnewi, Anambra State as a sham.

    According to the Anambra State faction of the party, Peter Okoye, “this is not a Convention, okay.

    “We are on top of the matter.

    “It’s pure illegal.

    “There was no Ward Congress, no Local Government Congresses ,no State Congress, and now who and who elected the delegates that is Electing the NWC members ?

    “The NLC is not there, TUC is not there ,,the owners of the party and members of the NEC and BOT members we’re not there too.”, the state factional chairman noted.

    According to Okoye, “The matter is coming up on 4th of April 2024 for hearing.”