Politics
LP crisis: Omar threatens to flush out Abure
The Labour Party (LP) leadership tussle deepened yesterday as its National Transition Committee (LPNTC) insisted that the national chairman, Julius Abure, must resign.
The labour leaders, who stormed the venue of the meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja, said the tenure of Abure and others members of the NWC would expire by month end.
The meeting was convened by LP presidential candidate in last year’s election, Peter Obi.
As the labour leaders attempted to enter the venue, the police fired teargas to disperse them.
Transition Committee Chairman Comrade Abdulwahed Omar said it is “either we find our way forward or we make our way forward.”
Omar, a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said: “The issue at hand is that the tenures of Abure and the National Working Committee had expired by the end of this month. And there can not be a vacuum in leadership.
“We have tried to do it peacefully. As much as possible, if we can resolve this issue without fighting, that will be good. But from what we have witnessed today, it appears certainly, that it is either we find our way forward or we make our way forward. This I assure you.”
He added: “We will not tolerate lawlessness, but if anybody decides to be lawless because he has power to pay and subvert our efforts, I want to assure that we are also capable of doing whatever anybody can do. We can do more.”
Omar said the committee has been given the mandate by stakeholders to organise a new and an all-inclusive national convention.
Obi, who addressed the labour leaders outside the party secretariat, said he convened the meeting to reconcile aggrieved party members.
He urged the party leaders to reconcile aggrieved party members and supporters.
Obi said every discord within the party would be addressed in no distant time.
He said party leaders must sit at a table and decide the future of the party.
Obi said the reconciliation between the party and its estranged former leaders, led by former Deputy National Chairman (South), Lamidi Apapa ,was a welcome development.
He said: “Let me tell you one thing; their reconciliation is all about our party and I can assure you that everyone must reconcile with each other.
“During our meeting before we learnt that our people were outside, I told them that my first assignment was reconciliation, my second assignment was reconciliation and my third assignment, reconciliation.
“I can tell you that what you witnessed earlier is a normal thing in our lives. I do the same thing. It is what I do every day, even in our families. When we quarrel with our wives and children, we reconcile. Even today, during the meeting, I made one instance which is that I have come to start the work of reconciling the family.”
Obi added: “So, these people here are members of the family who we must reconcile with. We are going to sit down around a table and decide the future of our party. I am ready for a reconciliation meeting any day you choose.
“And I like what happened here today. This means we have just started the reconciliation process and what we achieved today was so much, as I told you sometimes it happens in my house and I allow it because that is the only way I know how mature my children have become.”
Abure, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, expressed satisfaction with the leadership roles Obi has been playing in the party.
He said: “Labour Party is happy with your reconciliation project and we will give you all the supports. We are not the aggressor here, we have always wanted peace because we can’t go into future elections with a divided loyalty.
“We have said that we are focused on 2027, that is why we are the only party that has produced its candidate for the 2027 presidential election. We know where we are going and we have refused to be distracted. We will definitely get to our destination of giving Nigerians a better nation.”
The Labour Party on Thursday reaffirmed Barrister Julius Abure’s leadership as National Chairman following a Supreme Court judgement on April 4.
National Chairman Abure and National Secretary Alh. Umar Farouk Ibrahim, addressing reporters in Abuja, said the court upheld the party’s National Convention held on March 27 in Nnewi, Anambra State, which elected the current National Working Committee (NWC).
The Supreme Court stated that political parties must adhere to their constitutions and that leadership disputes are internal matters, not subject to judicial interference. “Political parties must learn to adhere to their constitution and guidelines in the conduct of their domestic affairs,” the court ruled, affirming that party members are bound by decisions of organs like the NWC, National Executive Committee (NEC), and National Convention.
Abure and Ibrahim urged Abia State Governor Alex Otti and former presidential candidate Peter Obi to respect the ruling and cease actions causing internal divisions. They noted that the court did not overturn CA/ABJ/1172/2024, which recognised Abure as National Chairman, and confirmed the party’s compliance with electoral laws and INEC regulations for the 2024 convention.
The party dismissed claims of a caretaker committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, stating no valid NEC meeting or stakeholder gathering occurred on 4 September 2024 in Abia State. It declared that no leadership vacuum exists and urged members to align with the NWC as affirmed by the Supreme Court.
The announcement follows weeks of factional disputes, with Abure’s group maintaining the party’s Abuja secretariat while the Usman-led caretaker committee awaits INEC’s interpretation of the judgement.
Delta state Commissioner of Information, Charles Aniagwu, said that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders in Delta joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) to protect the state’s interest.
Addressing journalists at Government House, Asaba, Aniagwu, said the move was aimed at preserving unity, deepening development, and safeguarding the wellbeing of Deltans.
His words: “The decision was taken to build the bond of love that have existed in our state, to further advance the cause of security and welfare of our people and to a very large extent ensure that development in Delta, because every politics is local, is not truncated.
“And in taking that decision we came to the inevitable conclusion that moving out of the PDP is very very necessary for us to be able to collaborate with our kith and kin and build that state that every Deltan will be proud of.
The commissioner likened the current state of the PDP to palm wine that has lost its taste.
He said: “We believe that what is happening and the state of the PDP is akin to that palm wine whose taste has changed and there was a need for us to change the drinking pattern.
“And that is why this decision has been taken unanimously by leaders and stakeholders of the party.
“By the grace of God, Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement after the fact that we are moving into the APC.”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma have hailed the defection of Delta state Governor, Sheriff goes and his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa into the ruling APC.
Wike gave the commendation in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Mr Lere Olayinka in Abuja on Wednesday.
Recall Okowa, the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 election on Wednesday, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okowa decamped alongside Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta and other PDP stalwarts in the state, collapsing the entire PDP structures in the state to the APC.
Wike described the development as another endorsement of the president’s good governance and commitment to the development of the country.
He called on other Nigerians, who were still sitting on the fence to throw in their support for Tinubu.
According to him, Okowa and Oborevwori open endorsement of Tinubu is a vindication of the position I took in 2023, which was based on the interest of a united Nigeria.
“I commend Okowa and Gov. Oborevwori for this heart-warming decision, which must have been informed by good governance and commitment of President Bola Tinubu to the oneness and development of Nigeria.
“That is what I have always told people to come out and say, not to be running up and down when they have problems.
“They have come out at the right time to show support for Mr President so that the people of Niger Delta can benefit more from the government, and I commend them for it.
“I am particularly happy that what I saw before the 2023 presidential election, others are now seeing and are joining the “Renewed Hope train,” the minister said.
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