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From Sola Ojo, Abuja
Factional leadership of the Labour Party (LP) led by Julius Abure has declared that the party would fully participate in the 2027 general elections despite the recent Appeal Court’s judgement against its leadership.
Abure, in a statement yesterday, said the party has already approached the Supreme Court to challenge the January 21, 2026 Appeal Court’s ruling, insisting that the judgement would not stop the party from conducting primaries and fielding candidates across the country.
“This is the first statement by me after the January 21 Appeal Court’s judgement against our leadership,” Abure said.
He disclosed that the party had filed a notice of appeal at the Supreme Court and was awaiting the compilation of records to file its brief.
According to him, the crisis rocking the party was a fallout of the role the party played during the 2023 general elections. “What is happening to the party presently is a clear case of victimisation for the role we played in the 2023 general election,” he stated.
He alleged that those who benefitted from the party’s electoral success were now being used to destabilise the party. The embattled LP chairman maintained that the current National Working Committee emerged legally through the party’s March 27, 2024 national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, stressing that the convention was recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He accused INEC of making a volte-face months later by declaring that the tenure of the executive had expired.
He also faulted the activities of the rival faction led by Nenadi Usman, describing their actions as illegal.
“The notice they wrote to INEC was illegal, in the sense that only NEC of a party can approve and fix dates for congresses and primaries,” he said. He added that the party would proceed with its own electoral activities, including the conduct of direct primaries.
He announced that governorship and State Houses of Assembly primaries would be held on May 27, while House of Representatives and Senate primaries were scheduled for May 29.
He further revealed that the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election would emerge through a consensus arrangement at a presidential primary in Abuja on the same day.
The LP chairman said nomination forms for all elective positions had been made available free of charge on the party’s online platforms.
“All our forms can be accessed in all the Labour Party social and online platforms, for free. Just download, fill them and submit them to our state chairmen across the nation,” he said.
He described the free forms initiative as part of the Labour Party’s ideology of making politics accessible to ordinary Nigerians.
“This is to make partisan politics easy and affordable for those who have the capacity to win elections but may not have the huge funds to deploy into the contest,” he stated.
He claimed the policy was previously implemented during the 2022/2023 elections, leading to the emergence of “Okada riders and palm kernel crushers” as members of the National Assembly.
Abure also dismissed reports alleging that the party leadership demanded money from Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, during reconciliation talks.
“At no time was the issue of money discussed. Nobody made any financial requests and nobody offered any money to anyone,” he said.
He explained that the discussions with Otti focused on reconciliation and power-sharing within the party leadership but ended without agreement after the governor allegedly insisted on dissolving the existing party structure.
He expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would eventually resolve the leadership dispute in favour of his faction.
“Our leadership will not rest until we recover our party from some political buccaneers and merchants, who will stop at nothing until the soul of the party is completely destroyed,” he said.
