By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The factional chairman of the Labour Party (LP) has opened up on why he visited the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Abure came under heavy criticism after photos of his meeting with Wike in Abuja surfaced. 
However, during the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Monday, Abure said the meeting was wrongly interpreted.
He explained that the visit was a private affair.
Abure said, “Last week, I met with the FCT minister, and it attracted a lot of comments, a lot of misconceptions, and a lot of talk about the photographic events.
“Now that we have the privilege of convening this meeting, it’s an opportunity for me to make a few brief remarks.
“I want to say, firstly and very clearly, that I am in Nigeria. I live in the FCT, and Nyesom Wike is the FCT minister.
“I have the right, as a Nigerian, to interface and interact with anybody, with any public officer in the federal government of Nigeria.
“The meeting was privileged and, therefore, was purely a private meeting.”
He also used the moment to reassert his influence in the party, describing himself as a leader who has built the LP into a national force.
“I also want to say clearly and quickly that we have paid our dues in the Labour Party.
“We have controlled this party for many years, and by the grace of God, today, the party has become one of the biggest political parties in Nigeria, under my watch,” he said.
Abure’s visit to Wike came amid a leadership crisis in the LP, with two factions claiming the party’s national structure.
While Abure leads one group, former minister of finance Usman Nenadi heads the rival faction as its interim national chairman.
