Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has assured the sacked national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, and others of forgiveness and reintegration into the party if they are willing to embrace peace and reconciliation.
A Federal High Court in Abuja declared on Wednesday that a former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, and not Mr Abure, was the valid national chairperson of the LP, based on the Supreme Court’s 4 April 2025 verdict.
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The court, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Ms Usman-led caretaker committee as “the only valid authority to represent the Labour Party,” pending the party’s national convention.
The ruling followed a suit filed by Ms Usman against Mr Abure, the Nigerian Labour Congress, INEC and others.
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Mr Lifu held that the evidence before the court showed Mr Abure’s tenure as national chairman had elapsed.
While dismissing his claim that the matter was an internal party issue that was not justiciable, the judge said the establishment of the LP caretaker committee was “a necessity” arising from the Supreme Court order.
Mr Abure has vowed to appeal the judgement.
Otti’s message to Abure, others
In a statement issued on Thursday by Ferdinand Ekeoma, the special adviser to the governor on media and publicity, Mr Otti called on “those responsible for all the frivolous litigations against the party” to sheathe their sword and respect the judgement of the Federal High Court.
Mr Otti said the judgement of the Federal High Court is in tandem with that of the Supreme Court, assuring them of “forgiveness and proper reintegration as long as they are willing to turn a new leaf and become law-abiding members of the party”.
He congratulated the LP National Caretaker Committee led by Ms Usman as chairperson and Darlington Nwokocha as secretary on the judgement.
“This victory is both heartwarming and timely as it provides us with the opportunity of ensuring that peace, order and unity return to the party, while ensuring re-organisation and rejuvenation of the party to become, not just a truly democratic party that meets the high expectations of its members, but a formidable political platform that is poised to achieving electoral victories and rendering good governance at all levels,” the governor stated.
He charged the leadership of the LP to see the victory as an opportunity to rejig the party and ensure purposeful, inclusive leadership committed to peace, unity and justice, in line with the constitution and ideals of the party.
Mr Otti thanked the court for the “sound judgement” and “all lovers of democracy” for standing by the party during its trying times. He assured his commitment to continue playing a positive role in deepening democracy and ensuring peace and order in the country.
The LP recently appointed Mr Otti as its national leader after Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, defected to the African Democratic Congress. The governor had said he would rather remain in the LP and help rebuild it than defect with Mr Obi.
LP leadership crisis
The leadership crisis in the LP had earlier led the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to remove Mr Abure. To fill the leadership vacuum, the party constituted a 29-member caretaker committee chaired by Ms Usman, a former senator.
The committee was formed following an expanded stakeholders’ meeting hosted in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, by Governor Alex Otti. The meeting, where Mr Abure was removed, was chaired by his former ally and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Dissatisfied with the decision, Mr Abure approached the Federal High Court to assert his claim to the position of national chairman.
In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Mr Abure said he was lawfully elected acting national chairman at a NEC meeting in Benin City, Edo State, on 29 March 2021.
He added that during the NEC meeting in Asaba, Delta State, on 18 April 2023, the tenures of state chairmen whose terms had expired were renewed, anti-party members were expelled, and vacancies were filled.
Mr Abure said he was subsequently elected national chairman at the party’s national convention on 27 March 2024 in Nnewi, Anambra State. He noted that under his leadership, the party produced governorship candidates in Edo and Ondo states.
While both the High Court and Court of Appeal had earlier upheld Mr Abure’s position and ordered INEC to recognise him, the Supreme Court later overturned the rulings.
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In the lead judgement delivered by a justice on the panel, Inyang Okoro, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal filed by Ms Usman and Mr Nwokocha.
The Supreme Court also rejected Mr Abure’s cross-appeal and reminded political parties to adhere strictly to their internal rules when appointing officers. The court had also instructed officials whose tenures had ended to step down from their positions.
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