• Obi, Otti, Nenadi slam Abure’s sit-tight tactics at parallel NEC meeting

  • “Your meeting is null and void,” Abure retorts

By Sola Ojo and Idu Jude, Abuja

The leadership crisis plaguing the Labour Party (LP) shows no signs of resolution as both Barrister Julius Abure’s faction and Senator Nenadi Usman’s caretaker committee claimed victory over the Supreme Court’s 4 April 2025 ruling. The Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement, released on Wednesday, April 9, has deepened the divide.

Abia State Governor Dr Alex Otti, speaking at a parallel National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and stakeholders’ summit at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, asserted that the court upheld Usman’s leadership.

Joined by LP’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi and Senator Nenadi Usman, Otti read excerpts from the 48-page CTC. “The Supreme Court has affirmed that the plaintiff—Usman and others—were right in their appeal and went further to admonish politicians to respect the tenures of office as stipulated in their respective political party constitutions,” he said.

Otti criticised Abure’s refusal to step down. “I had a meeting with him and asked what he wanted. He said he didn’t want anything. We offered him the chairmanship of the party’s board of trustees,” Otti recounted.

“He went ahead to stay when his tenure and those of the NWC had expired. The correct procedure if you still want to be national chairman is to start from the ward congress, state congress, zonal congress, where delegates would emerge for the national convention, and every member is free to contest.” This parallel meeting followed Abure’s threat two days earlier to sanction Otti and Obi for anti-party activities.

Peter Obi, addressing the gathering, urged unity amid Nigeria’s woes. “Do not fear anybody. Those who were afraid yesterday didn’t do any better. Nigeria is collapsing,” he said. “The numbers are clear; people are getting poorer every day. Those who’d call me to eat and drink with them now ask for assistance.” On future elections, he added, “We want to go into the next election fully prepared, offering Nigerians the best and most competent candidates. Anyone seeking to contest under our party must be a committed member, not just someone passing through.” Obi dismissed rumours of leaving LP, stating no discussions about departure had occurred.

Senator Nenadi Usman, whose appeal sparked the ruling, called for reconciliation. “The judgement of the Supreme Court showed that the interest of the people remains uppermost,” she said. Despite the win, she urged Abure’s faction to unite for the party’s sake.

However, LP National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh rejected the parallel meeting as “null and void,” claiming the CTC favoured Abure. “The leadership of the Labour Party led by Barrister Julius Abure has been vindicated by the content of the Certified True Copy,” he said. “There is nowhere it stated that the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure-led executive has elapsed or that Nenadi Usman and her National Caretaker Committee has been directed to take over.” He argued, “The Supreme Court emphatically stated that issues within the political party are internal affairs and that party supremacy must be observed.”

Ifoh insisted no leadership vacuum exists. “The highest organ of the party, the national convention, has in March 2024 elected its leaders in line with the constitution of the party and Electoral Act, and their tenure is subsisting,” he said. “Any meeting convened in disregard to the constitution of the party is illegal and the outcome null and void. We are warning all those involved in the illegal meeting holding in Abuja to refrain from further factionalising the party.”