JUST- IN: Is This A Curse? LP Crisis Gets Dirty As Abure Shocks Peter Obi, Drops Unexpected Bombshell
The leadership crisis within the Labour Party has taken a new turn as the Julius Abure- led National Working Committee (NWC) strongly criticized the party’ s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State governor, Alex Otti. The disagreement stems from the formation of a caretaker committee to take over the party’ s leadership.
In a statement released on Wednesday by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the Abure camp expressed frustration with the ongoing dispute, accusing Obi, Otti, and other party leaders of working against the party’ s interests by aligning with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This development comes after INEC refused to recognize Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, stating that his tenure had expired in June 2024.
Abure- Led Faction’ s Accusations
The Abure faction accused Obi and Otti of siding with INEC, an institution they believe mismanaged the 2023 elections to the detriment of the Labour Party.
They expressed disappointment that party leaders who suffered from INEC’ s failures in 2023 were now cooperating with the same electoral body. The statement described this as a betrayal of the party and the people who supported their candidacies.
In part of the statement, the Abure camp questioned the motives of these leaders, saying, ” It amazes us that those who suffered from this INEC’ s ineptitude in 2023 are now joining forces with the Commission against the Party leadership. For these leaders, there is no qualms to leverage on INEC’ s standpoint of illegality to attempt to seize the leadership of the party. ”
INEC’ s Role And The 2023 Election
Obiora Ifoh emphasized that INEC had failed to protect the will of the people during the 2023 general election, which left many disappointed. The statement also raised concerns about the leaders’ paradoxical stance, as they had previously criticized INEC for its role in the election but were now working with the commission to displace Abure’ s leadership. Ifoh warned the leaders that INEC cannot be trusted as a reliable institution, especially in future elections.
” Is it not seemingly absurd that the INEC you are embracing today and welcoming with open arms is the same INEC, which betrayed us during the last election? ” the statement asked, adding that INEC had not changed and would likely repeat its failures in the 2027 elections.
Legal Disputes And Internal Conflicts
The Abure- led faction also referenced a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja, which affirmed the validity of the Labour Party’ s national convention held in Nnewi on March 26, 2024.
The court, presided over by Justice J. K Omotosho, ruled that the convention was conducted in accordance with the 2022 Electoral Act and the Labour Party’ s constitution. As a result, Ifoh insisted that there was no leadership vacancy within the party, arguing that a new executive could only be installed after a convention in 2028.
The Caretaker Committee And Its Leaders
Despite the court’ s ruling, a group of Labour Party leaders, including Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti, have proceeded to set up a caretaker committee. This development occurred during a meeting convened by Otti and attended by several party leaders, including Obi, elected Senators, and members of the House of Representatives.
The committee, led by former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, consists of 29 members. The committee has been tasked with organizing an election for new party leadership within the next 90 days. Senator Darlington Nwokocha, the former Senate Minority Deputy Leader, was appointed as the Secretary of the committee.
Conclusively, the Labour Party is now at a critical juncture, with a leadership struggle that could affect its stability and future. While the Abure- led faction maintains its hold on the party through a court ruling, other leaders are pushing for a new direction through the caretaker committee. The coming weeks will reveal whether the party can resolve these internal conflicts or if the divide will further weaken its structure as the 2027 elections approach.
