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From Sola Ojo, Abuja
The embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Barrister Julius Abure, has declared that the party remains the most credible alternative for rescuing Nigeria from poverty and poor governance.
To him, the party was already in a “coalition with Nigerians” and does not require alliances with what he described as failed politicians.
His call came a day after the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, defected to the African Democratic Congress and called it the best bet for the country to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.
Abure made the assertion in his New Year message to Nigerians and members of the Labour Party worldwide, where he reflected on the party’s internal struggles in 2025 and outlined its political direction ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He described 2025 as a challenging but defining year for the party, noting that the Labour Party survived internal crises allegedly fuelled by some party leaders.
According to him, the turning point came on April 4, 2025, when the Supreme Court ruled that courts lacked jurisdiction to interfere in political parties’ internal affairs, affirming that leadership disputes must be resolved through internal mechanisms.
He said the judgment helped the party reassert its leadership, despite continued attempts by some aggrieved members to seek court injunctions and orders, adding that the crisis that had plagued the party for over a year finally ended following developments on December 31, 2025, in Enugu.
Abure also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for respecting the Supreme Court judgment and resuming official dealings with his leadership.
He disclosed that INEC had uploaded the party’s governorship candidate for Ekiti State and accorded full recognition to the party’s candidate in Osun State.
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, Abure revealed that the party had successfully conducted ward, local government, and state congresses across the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, except in Abia State where a court injunction subsists.
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While acknowledging that the party experienced some defections during the crisis period, he said it also recorded an influx of new members through its revalidation exercise and membership drive.
Abure expressed optimism about 2026, describing it as a critical pre-election year when Nigerians would begin the constitutional process of recruiting new leaders across all levels of governance.
He stressed that the Labour Party was battle-ready and had learned valuable lessons from its performance in the 2023 general election.
“We knew where we were before 2023 and how, under my leadership, we were able to turn things around.
“It was not a fluke but the result of hard work, strategic thinking and discipline,” he said.
The LP chairman warned Nigerians against placing hope in political coalitions made up of what he termed “failed politicians,” arguing that such alliances represent “old wine in a new bottle.”
“The only meaningful coalition is one with ordinary Nigerians, including workers, traders, farmers, students and the poor, which he said the Labour Party already represents,” he added.
In a sharp critique, Abure also took aim at the party’s former 2023 presidential candidate, Obi, describing him as untrustworthy and accusing him of betrayal.
He recalled that the former candidate had previously criticised some current coalition figures as corrupt and incompetent, but had now aligned with them.
“Labour Party remains the only alternative,” Abure said.
