The leader of the Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives, Hon. Afam Ogene, has stated that the embattled party chairman, Julius Abure, can still seek re-election as the national chairman.
Naija News reports that Abure has faced challenges in retaining his position as the party’s chairman after several party leaders, including 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti, formed a caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman to assume leadership from him.
Last week, the Supreme Court set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had recognized Julius Abure as the Labour Party’s National Chairman. This ruling has sparked further controversy within the party, with both sides in the suit claiming the verdict favored them.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Ogene emphasized that while the judgment effectively removed Abure as chairman, it does not prevent him from seeking re-election.
He said, “Exit the stage but that does not mean leaving Labour Party. The door is still open for him to run for election if he wants to remain as the national chairman, but the processes must be followed through. He would have to wait when we have the structures from the wards and up.”
Ogene also alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is supporting Abure to destabilize the opposition party.
Regarding the Labour Party’s headquarters, which remains under the control of the Abure faction, Ogene stated that they will take control of the secretariat in a few days, stressing that they are merely following due process.
The Labour Party held its National Executive Council meeting on Wednesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, chaired by former Finance Minister Nenadi Usman. In attendance were 2023 LP presidential candidate Peter Obi, his running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, along with Senators and House of Representatives members who are part of the party.
