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From Sola Ojo, Abuja
The internal power struggle within the Labour Party (LP) has taken another dramatic turn after supporters of Julius Abure regained access to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
This development reversed a takeover carried out just a day earlier by the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee.
The move followed the sudden removal of banners and campaign materials associated with the caretaker leadership, signalling a fresh shift in control of the Utako-based headquarters.
Confirming the development, Abure’s spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, said the faction acted after concluding that the earlier occupation of the secretariat lacked legal backing.
He described the takeover by Usman’s group as unauthorised and claimed that the Abure leadership had now restored what he called the lawful administrative order of the party.
Ifoh disclosed that party officials were already compiling records of items allegedly damaged or removed during the brief occupation and indicated that the matter would be pursued through legal channels.
He also urged rival factions to refrain from further actions until the ongoing cases at the appellate courts are resolved, stressing that party activities would resume immediately at the headquarters.
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However, the caretaker committee rejected Abure’s claims and accused his camp of defying a valid court order.
Reacting through her media aide, Senator Usman maintained that a Federal High Court had already stripped Abure of the chairmanship position and mandated the caretaker committee to manage the party’s affairs pending a national convention.
She argued that her group’s entry into the secretariat earlier in the day was carried out transparently and under security protection, unlike what she termed a nocturnal operation by the Abure faction.
She further faulted security agencies for failing to prevent what she described as a breach of a judicial decision.
The renewed confrontation came amid months of legal battles and parallel leadership claims that have plagued the party since after the 2023 general elections.
In a previous ruling, the Federal High Court in Abuja had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the caretaker committee headed by Usman, a decision that was subsequently reflected on INEC’s official website.
Despite filing an appeal, Abure has continued to challenge the ruling, insisting that his leadership remains legitimate and vowing to resist any attempt to dislodge his camp from the party structure.
