The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has reaffirmed that there is no leadership vacuum in the party, despite recent developments following the Supreme Court’s ruling on its national chairmanship dispute.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the faction insisted that the court ruling did not invalidate Abure’s leadership or hand over control to Nenadi Usman and her National Caretaker Committee.
The statement comes in response to a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting chaired by former Finance Minister Nenadi Usman at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
The meeting was attended by prominent party figures, including 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, his running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
However, the Abure faction dismissed the meeting, stating that any gathering held outside the party’s constitutional framework is “illegal and the outcome null and void.”
The statement further read: “The leadership of the Labour Party ably led by Barrister Julius Abure has been vindicated by the content of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment between Nenadi Usman and the Labour Party.”
It continued: “As promised earlier, we warned that Senator Nenadi Usman and her cohorts have been in the voyage of misleading Nigerians with wrong interpretation of the judgment of the apex court. (Attached is a copy of the CTC).”
The faction reiterated that the Supreme Court’s decision did not state that Abure’s leadership had ended or that Usman’s caretaker committee had been authorized to assume control.
“The Supreme Court emphatically stated that issues within the political party are internal affairs of the party, and that party supremacy must be observed,” the statement added.
The Abure-led faction also emphasized that the party’s leadership remains legitimate, as it was elected through a national convention in March 2024 in accordance with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
“Consequent upon that, any meeting convened in disregard to the constitution of the party is illegal and the outcome null and void. We are therefore warning all those involved in the illegal meeting held in Abuja to refrain from further factionalising the party and respect the constitution of the party as we will not fail to activate the provision of the party on disciplinary actions,” the statement concluded.
