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Julius Abure, the factional national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has cautioned former Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson against allowing supporters of Peter Obi to dominate the structure of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), warning that doing so could trigger the kind of leadership crisis that engulfed the Labour Party after the 2023 general election.
Abure issued the warning on Monday while reflecting on the LP’s experience with Obi and elected officials who emerged on the party’s platform during the last election cycle. He argued that the NDC leadership should draw lessons from the internal disputes that later fractured the Labour Party.
The former LP chairman said Dickson appeared to have taken a different approach by refusing to surrender all key party positions to Obi’s supporters following the former Anambra governor’s emergence as the NDC’s presidential candidate.
“They say history usually repeats itself. Senator Dickson and Co have seen their trajectory and learnt from what happened to us, that a lot of them, after they won and got into government, turned around and began struggling with the leadership of the party,” Abure said.
He alleged that Obi, Abia State Governor Alex Otti and several elected officials who won on the Labour Party platform eventually distanced themselves from the party leadership despite the support they received before the election.
“I want to say that Obi and his followers are ingrates who will never remember the sacrifices you made for them. It is even dangerous for the leadership of the NDC to wholly hand over elective positions to Obi and his followers,” he stated.
Abure claimed that the Labour Party leadership made significant concessions ahead of the 2023 elections, including accommodating many candidates aligned with Obi. According to him, the party believed it was investing in individuals who would contribute to its growth after winning office.
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“We ensured that Obi’s interests were adequately taken care of. We only looked at his body language, and we obliged most of his supporters’ tickets. Most of the tickets were for free, believing that we were investing in those persons in line with the philosophy of the party,” he said.
The LP chieftain further alleged that tensions escalated after questions emerged over the tenure of the party’s leadership, leading to a prolonged struggle for control of the party structure.
“They fell into the trap of INEC when the commission said the tenure of the executive had expired. We expected them to reject that position,” Abure said, referring to the dispute that eventually led to the recognition of the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee.
Abure argued that Dickson should retain a strong base within the NDC by ensuring that loyal members occupy strategic positions within the party hierarchy.
“He needed to bring his own people so that when the chips are down, he will also have people that will speak and defend him,” he added.
The comments come amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, with Obi’s emergence as the NDC presidential candidate expected to reshape opposition politics. While Abure maintains that the Labour Party’s experience should serve as a cautionary tale, neither Obi nor the NDC leadership had publicly responded to the remarks as of the time of filing this report.
The Labour Party has remained embroiled in a leadership dispute since 2024. In January 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission recognised the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee following court rulings, while Abure has continued to challenge his removal from office.
