By Eunice Orike
Factional national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has maintained that he is still the authentic leader of the party, stressing that the leadership dispute is before the Supreme Court and has not been finally determined.
Abure dismissed allegations of impersonation, corruption, and working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acted prematurely by recognising the leadership led by Nenadi Usman.
He accused former LP presidential candidate Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti of creating divisions within the party despite being major beneficiaries of the party in the 2023 general election. Abure rejected claims made by party chieftain Kenneth Asogwa, who had accused him of impersonation, insisting that the Usman-led caretaker committee unlawfully took over the party’s national secretariat.
According to him, he was at the office until late in the evening on the day of the alleged takeover and still had possession of the keys. He claimed the caretaker committee later entered, installed their own signboard, and took control. Abure said he had video evidence to prove his position.
On the leadership controversy, Abure stressed that there was no vacuum in the Labour Party, noting that a valid national convention was held in Nnewi in March 2024, where NEC members were elected for a four-year tenure. He faulted INEC for recognising another leadership while the matter is still before the Supreme Court, insisting that all parties should maintain the status quo until the appellate process is concluded.
He further dismissed suggestions that he had lost support within the party or was working for the APC, maintaining that the majority of LP members still identify with his leadership. Abure argued that the internal crisis was caused by Obi and Otti, not external forces, and said Nigerians would eventually determine who was truly responsible for the party’s challenges.
