…As insiders fear collapse of third-force movement

From Sola Ojo, Abuja

There is palpable fear that the one-time third-force that collapsed into Labour Party (LP) ahead of the 2023 National Assembly and Presidential elections and which gave the party unprecedented political visibility, may soon return to its old glory if the cloud of defections on it eventually gives in.

Voices of reasoning within the party hinted that the lingering leadership crisis rocking the party, which has made its 2023 Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, have his political eggs in different political parties’ baskets, would soon turn the party into a mere negotiation slot like several others.

To them, while several lawmakers elected on the platform of the party in 2023 have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), more are waiting for the outcome of the FCT council and gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

“Are you following what is happening, a situation whereby people are defecting from our party, PDP, and others, into the APC. We have been asking ourselves why they are not defecting to the Labour Party, obviously, due to the lingering internal crisis.

“If the Labour Party had been able to maintain its record in 2023, today, the APC would have been in a confused State. I don’t support the claim that the opposition is behind the Labour Party predicament, it is the failure of our leaders including Mr Peter Obi, Julius Abure, Alex Otti, Nenadi Usman, and the rest of them to reach a compromise and align their interests with that of the party and the general wellness of Nigeria”, a source said in confidence.

The two opposing factions, one led by Julius Abure and the other loyal to Senator Nenadi Usman are still confused over who controls the party’s national structure, another source told Daily Sun.

Recently, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) convened a crucial meeting with all registered political parties’ chairmen in Abuja, where Abure represented the Labour Party.

But the Deputy National Chairman of the Party, Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, dismissed insinuations that the party had gone silent amid mounting political activities, insisting that the Abure-led leadership remains in charge of the national secretariat and was duly represented at the INEC meeting in October.

“The Labour Party has not been silent as people are claiming. There’s a meeting of all political parties’ chairmen at the INEC office, and our party was invited. So, Barrister Julius Abure led the Labour Party delegation to that meeting. That should tell everyone that he is still very much in charge,” Olorunfemi said.

He added that the seeming lull in public appearances was a deliberate strategy, not a sign of inactivity.

“We don’t need to make noise for its own sake. Many activities are going on at the party secretariat. The only major activity on the ground now is the Anambra governorship election, and the party there is fully active. We have been denied the upload of our candidates for the FCT election, but we are working quietly to resolve that.

“Once the names are uploaded, we’ll address the nation again. For now, we’re focused on results, not noise,” Olorunfemi explained.

However, the faction loyal to Senator Nenadi Usman has dismissed Olorunfemi’s position, insisting that Abure’s tenure has expired following a Supreme Court judgment and accusing him of clinging to power illegally.

A chieftain of the faction, Elder Yusuf Danbaki, told Daily Sun that the days of Abure’s dominance were over.

“So much is going on behind the scenes. We have finally gotten rid of Abure, who hijacked and held the Labour Party to ransom for so long. The Supreme Court judgment clearly stated that his tenure is over,” Danbaki declared.

He further alleged that INEC had already acknowledged the expiration of Abure’s tenure during the recent by-elections.

“He even challenged INEC on why his candidates were not uploaded as contestants, and INEC defended itself by saying his tenure had indeed expired. That should have settled the matter,” Danbaki said.

According to him, the faction is now preoccupied with rebuilding the party from the grassroots, adding that “right now, we are busy building a very solid structure from the ground up, starting from the ward level, to the local government level, and then the state level.

“Very soon, an official announcement will be made. This interim structure will organise the congresses and the national convention that will eventually produce a new national chairman,” he revealed.

Danbaki also reacted sharply to reports that Abure attended the INEC meeting as Labour Party chairman.

“We are not aware of that. Perhaps there has been some miscommunication with INEC. But if indeed that happened, we will definitely challenge it in court to ensure that the right thing is done. Abure has no place, either by law or by court judgment,” he said.

The Labour Party, which rose to national prominence in the build-up to the 2023 general elections under the Obidient Movement, has since been bogged down by bitter leadership tussles and multiple court cases. The latest twist comes amid high-level political realignments across party lines where the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be clearly winning.

Political observers note that the gale of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), once the dominant opposition, has so far not benefited the Labour Party, largely due to its internal instability.

Many prominent politicians have either pitched their tents with smaller regional parties or aligned with the APC, avoiding what one insider described as “Labour house of commotion”.

Meanwhile, expectations are high that the new INEC leadership may soon take a definitive position on which faction – Abure’s or Usman’s represents the authentic leadership of the Labour Party.

Sources close to the commission hinted that the issue of party recognition is one of the items quietly being reviewed in line with existing court pronouncements and INEC’s internal legal advice.

For now, both camps are digging in. While Abure’s faction insists that the recent INEC invitation affirms its legitimacy, the Usman faction is vowing to fight on, even to the Supreme Court, again if necessary.

As the power tussle deepens, the Labour Party, once seen as a new voice for Nigerian youth and the middle class, now stands at a crossroads, torn between rival claims, bruised egos, and the uncertain hope that the electoral umpire might soon declare who truly leads the “party of the people.”