Embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, on Friday presided over a meeting of the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) at the LP national secretariat in Abuja, with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and former vice-presidential candidate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed in attendance.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of lingering disputes over the party’s controversial 2024 national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, which has deepened internal divisions and led to parallel structures, litigations, and rival claims to party leadership.
The NEC gathering reaffirmed Abure as national chairman—an action that has sparked fresh reactions from other senior party figures, including the 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, who continue to reject the legitimacy of the Nnewi convention.
In July, Obi, Otti and other stakeholders dismissed the outcome of the convention and set up a 29-member caretaker committee headed by former Minister of Finance Nenadi Usman to oversee fresh congresses and a new national convention. The move entrenched a months-long leadership split, with both factions citing different court interpretations and constitutional provisions.
Abure: Supreme Court has settled the matter
Speaking after Friday’s meeting, Abure insisted that recent Supreme Court pronouncements affirm that the internal affairs of political parties are non-justiciable, emphasising that NEC has full authority to run the party between conventions.
“The NEC has the responsibility and power to manage the affairs of political parties between national conventions and to fill vacant positions,” he said.
“We called this meeting so we can resolve our crises and strategically position the party for the 2027 elections.”
He argued that the Labour Party has become “a reference point” in Nigerian politics and said the reaffirmation of NEC authority reinforces the supremacy of party institutions over individuals.
INEC attendance sparks debate
Abure hailed INEC for sending representatives, saying their presence validated the NEC process.
“INEC officials are here today. They were not at the Nnewi convention, and that contributed to the controversies,” he said, while commending the commission’s leadership.
The INEC delegation included officials from the Litigation and Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) departments, led by Mrs. Rakiya Dattijo.
NEC Reaffirmations and Resolutions
After reviewing the disputed Nnewi convention, NEC:
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Reaffirmed the list of national officers elected on March 27, 2024, including Abure as National Chairman and Umar Farouk Ibrahim as National Secretary.
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Filled several vacant positions within the national leadership.
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Mandated the chairman and secretary to convene a special convention if necessary.
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Ratified plans to conduct ward, local government, and state congresses nationwide.
The meeting signals an escalation in the internal struggle for control of the Labour Party, with both camps preparing for what appears to be a prolonged battle ahead of the 2027 general elections
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