The internal crisis rocking the Labour Party intensified as factional National Chairman, Julius Abure, and Interim National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, traded strong positions over court judgments, leadership legitimacy, and control of the party structure.
Abure defended his decision to approach the Supreme Court, insisting he is not re-litigating already decided matters, but responding to fresh legal actions initiated by rival factions within the party.
“I need to make it categorically clear here that I’m not the one that is re-litigating on what the Supreme Court has litigated on.
”Nigerians must know that the Labour Party under my leadership is not the troublemaker in the party,” he said.
He argued that his tenure had not expired as claimed by critics, stating that a fresh mandate was secured before the end of the previous leadership term.
“The tenure didn’t expire. The tenure was to expire on the 9th of June, 2024. And before the expiration of tenure, on March 27, 2024, a new national convention was held where the current leadership emerged,” Abure explained.
The LP factional chairman also dismissed concerns about his removal from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) records, saying his name remained on the portal until early this year.
“That was recently after the Federal High Court in January or February this year made that pronouncement. So, all along, up until January this year, my name has been in INEC,” he said.
Abure further described the N10 million fine imposed by the Court of Appeal as significant, while also faulting what he called judicial inconsistency in handling internal party disputes.
“You will recall that the Supreme Court said issues of leadership are internal affairs of the party,” he argued, insisting that lower courts overstepped their jurisdiction.
He accused rival factions of destabilising the party, specifically pointing to actions involving Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti.
“Peter Obi and Alex Otti created the crisis in the party… they went to Umuahia to set up a caretaker committee,” Abure alleged.
He also cast doubt on Peter Obi’s possible return to the party, saying the former presidential candidate had not indicated any formal intention to rejoin.
“Peter Obi has not said he’s coming. I don’t think he will come back to the party,” he said.
On her part, Senator Nenadi Usman welcomed the Court of Appeal ruling in her favour, describing it as a victory for democracy, justice, and the rule of law.
“I honestly was happy and grateful to Almighty God because I felt it was a victory for democracy, I felt it was a victory for the rule of law,” she said.
Usman commended Labour Party members and supporters for standing by her during the legal process, while also praising the judiciary for what she called a fair decision.
She, however, cautioned against generalising criticism of judges, noting that while the judiciary has challenges, many judicial officers are committed to justice.
“I wouldn’t stereotype… in every profession there are good people and those who are not so good,” she said.
Usman also described ongoing court cases within the party as an abuse of judicial process, accusing rival factions of filing multiple suits across different jurisdictions to destabilise the party.
“It was a case to destabilise the party… eight different cases in eight different courts,” she said.
She maintained that her leadership remains widely recognised, citing INEC verification exercises and ongoing party activities as evidence of legitimacy.
“We had a verification exercise that INEC came to our office, it went very well,” she noted.
Looking ahead, Usman announced the commencement of ward congresses and a national convention, expressing optimism that the process would unify the party.
“As I said earlier, during the verification exercise, we’ve extended an olive branch, we just want to build the party,” she said.
She also stressed that the Labour Party must remain focused on ideology rather than individual control.
“Labour Party is Labour Party. Nobody’s name is attached to it,” she said.
Usman expressed confidence that reconciliation was still possible, urging all factions to prioritise the survival and rebuilding of the party.
“Reconciliation is possible, we are very, very hopeful,” she added.
The competing claims from both factions highlight the widening rift within the Labour Party, with ongoing court battles and leadership disputes continuing to shape its political future.
