Labour Party Split Widens as Abure and Obi Call Rival NEC Meetings
The internal crisis rocking Nigeria’s Labour Party (LP) has taken a dramatic new turn, with factional national chairman Julius Abure and 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi convening separate National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings—highlighting the deepening rift within the party’s top ranks.
The dueling meetings come in the aftermath of a Supreme Court ruling that overturned a lower court’s judgment recognizing Abure as the party’s national chairman. In its April 4 decision, the apex court reaffirmed that political party leadership disputes fall outside the jurisdiction of the judiciary, effectively returning the matter to internal party mechanisms.
Seizing on the court’s position, both factions have moved swiftly to assert control.
On Monday, Obiora Ifoh, the LP’s national publicity secretary loyal to Abure, announced the commencement of a NEC meeting at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja. “This is the legitimate NEC,” Ifoh insisted in a conversation with TheCable, dismissing Obi’s planned summit as “unlawful.”
Meanwhile, Obi, backed by Abia State Governor Alex Otti, has summoned his own factional NEC and a stakeholder summit, scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, at the prestigious Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
In a brief joint statement signed by Ibrahim Umar, the duo invited party heavyweights to the gathering, which will include the LP’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, sitting and former senators, and numerous candidates from the last general election. Following the closed-door NEC session, an interactive town hall meeting is expected to foster broader engagement on the party’s direction.
“The future of our party demands a united, transparent, and inclusive platform,” said Umar.
However, unity appears distant as both sides continue to trade accusations and claim legitimacy in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
