•Abure-led NEC threatens to sanction Gov. Otti, Obi
•Sacks House of Reps caucus leader, Ogene
•Says there’s no vacuum in leadership of Labour Party
By John Alechenu
ABUJA—The crisis in the Labour Party, LP, took a turn for the worse yesterday as the two feuding parties in the leadership tussle summoned separate National Executive Council, NEC, meetings to deliberate on the way forward after the Supreme Court judgement.
While the Comrade Julius Abure-led party leadership summoned a NEC meeting for yesterday, the Peter Obi/ Governor Alex Otti-led stakeholders scheduled theirs for tomorrow, April 9.
Abure and his team sent out invitations to “relevant stakeholders” late on Sunday for the NEC meeting scheduled to hold on Monday (yesterday)
In what appears to be a counter move, Obi, Otti summoned a NEC meeting /stakeholders engagement for tomorrow, with both meetings scheduled to hold in Abuja.
A statement by the spokesperson of the Peter Obi Media Reach, POMR, Ibrahim Umar, in Abuja yesterday, read: “The two leading figures of the Labour Party, the 2023 presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi and the sole state governor of the party, Alex Otti of Abia State, have summoned the National Executive Committee, NEC of the party in Abuja on Wednesday (tomorrow), April 9, 2025.
“In a notice signed by the two men, the NEC meeting shall be followed concurrently by an interactive town hall engagement with major stakeholders and other organs of the party at Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
“The stakeholders listed to attend the meeting include the vice presidential candidate for the 2023 election, serving and former senators and senatorial candidates of LP in the 2023 election, serving and former members of House of Representatives and LP candidates in 2023 election.”
Other invitees included all members of the National Caretaker Committee and NTC; all former governorship candidates still in the party; representatives of NLC/TUC Political Commission and all members of the former LP National Working Committee.
“The meeting is in furtherance of the Supreme Court ruling last week terminating the Julius Abure-led NWC.”
Abure-led NEC threatens to sanction Gov. Otti, Obi
The Comrade Julius Abure-led National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party also threatened to sanction Abia State governor, Alex Oti, should he go ahead with the planned “illegal” stakeholders meeting, scheduled to hold on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
It also warned the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, against any conduct or utterance which promotes disunity within the party.
The party leadership said it would no longer take kindly to anti-party activities from any member, “no matter how highly placed.”
In the same vein, the LP NEC also announced the sack of Afam Ogene from his position as leader of the party’s caucus in the House of Representatives.
In his place, NEC appointed Barr. Ben Eternabene as the new leader.
These decisions were contained in a communique read by the party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk, at the end of a NEC meeting held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja yesterday.
Farouk said: “NEC-in-session in exercise of its duties, hereby, cautions the former presidential candidate of our great party not to participate in any action capable of undermining the peace, unity and integrity of the party as the NEC will not hesitate to issue stiffer penalty if found culpable.”
The party’s NEC also expressed satisfaction with the recent ruling of the Supreme Court affirming the supremacy of the party in determining its leadership.
It further stressed that at no point within the Supreme Court judgement did it sack Julius Abure as national chairman.
Farouk said further: “Accordingly, NEC-in-session reaffirmed the Nnewi National Convention held on the March 27, 2024, that produced the current National Working Committee, NWC, members under the chairmanship of Barrister Julius Abure.
“NEC-in-session condemns in strong terms the activities of the caretaker committee illegally established by Alex Otti and Peter Obi in a so-called stakeholders meeting held on September 4, 2024, in Umuahia.
“The Supreme Court admonished party leaders and members of the party to always abide by the constitution of the party.’’
Speaking specifically about Abia State governor, the communique said: “NEC-in-session notes the various anti-party activities of Governor Alex Otti, including calling of unauthorizedstakeholders meeting and usurping the powers of NEC.
“He also conducted LGA election using another political party. The governor has also intensified his effort to factionalise the party leadership by calling an illegal NEC schedule to hold on Wednesday (tomorrow).
“The leadership of Labour Party is also aware of the governor’s plot to cripple our party before moving to another political party where he hopes to contest the 2027 governorship election.
“His anti-party activities are unbecoming of highly respected personality and can no longer be acceptable. NEC stated that it will not hesitate to discipline him, in line with Article 19 of the party’s constitution.
“NEC-in-session noted that it would not hesitate to discipline any other erring member who violates the party’s constitution regardless of how big or powerful such individuals may be.
‘’On Ogene’s removal as LP caucus leader, NEC- in-session reviewed the activities of the House of Representatives caucus leader, Victor Adam Ogene and wishes to note as follows:
“That the voice of the current leadership of the party is not being heard in the hallowed lower chambers; that there is a lack of cohesion among our members in the House; that the leadership appears to be compromised; and that the ideology and programmes of the party are not well represented.’’
No vacuum in the leadership of Labour Party – Abure
Meanwhile, Comrade Julius Abure declared yesterday that there was no vacuum in the leadership of the party.
He stated this while speaking to party faithful at the ongoing National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the party at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja yesterday.
He said: “There is no vacuum in the leadership of Labour Party. The Supreme Court judgement did not say the tenure of the current NWC under my leadership has expired.
“The so-called national caretaker committee is an illegal body unknown to any law guiding the Labour Party.
“What happened in Umuahia, Abia State, was not a NEC meeting as such. The so-called caretaker committee is an illegal entity. The purported caretaker committee is just a meddlesome interloper whose sole purpose is to destroy our party.”
The post LP crisis: Abure, Peter Obi/Otti summon separate NEC meetings appeared first on Vanguard News.
