The Labour Party faction led by its National Chairman, Julius Abure, on Friday chaired a meeting of the party’s National Executive Council, with representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission and former vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, in attendance.
The NEC session took place at the party headquarters in Abuja and comes amid continuing disagreements stemming from the 2024 national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State.
That convention, which reaffirmed Abure as chairman, sparked multiple lawsuits, rival factions and internal challenges from senior figures including the 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
In July, Obi, Otti and other party leaders rejected the Nnewi outcomes and named a 29-member caretaker committee led by former minister Nemadi Usman to oversee fresh congresses and organise a new national convention, escalating a power tussle that has persisted for months. Both camps have repeatedly cited court rulings and constitutional provisions to defend their positions.
Speaking to journalists after Friday’s meeting, Abure said NEC members relied on recent Supreme Court decisions which state that a political party’s internal leadership issues are not matters for judicial intervention.
He stated, “The NEC has the responsibility and power to manage the affairs of political parties between national conventions as well as to fill vacant positions.
“It is for this reason that we called this meeting so that we can do the needful, resolve all our crises, differences and strategically position the party for the 2027 election.
“There is no gainsaying that the fact that there will be a beginning of the existence of the Labour Party. That we have come this far is a powerful statement that we have made. Whether we like it or not, LP has become a reference point in the political firmament of Nigeria.
“We have done so and reinforced the supremacy of political parties in Nigeria. The Labour Party has set the pace and standard that parties are bigger than individual persons in the party.”
Abure also commended INEC for sending officials to observe the proceedings, describing their presence as an endorsement.
“Without sounding parochial or immodest, I have always said that when lawyers are in office, there is always equity, justice, fair play and peace. I am happy that peace is finally returning to most political parties that are having crises because we have a lawyer at the helm of INEC leadership.
“Therefore, I want to appreciate the commission for being there. We are aligning ourselves with INEC, which currently has its officials here. They were not with us at the Nnewi convention, and that resulted in some measures of controversy.”
Citing the Supreme Court, the chairman stressed that political parties are “corporate entities with their constitution, rules, regulations and guidelines which are binding on members,” adding that members join “freely” and are expected to follow internal dispute-resolution mechanisms.
Following a review of the Nnewi convention and the disputes surrounding it, the NEC upheld the list of national officers elected on March 27, 2024, in Anambra State, retaining Abure as National Chairman and Umar Farouk Ibrahim as National Secretary.
The council also filled several vacant positions and authorised the chairman and secretary to convene a special convention if required, while approving plans for ward, local government and state congresses across the country.
INEC’s delegation comprised officials from the Litigation and Election and Party Monitoring departments, led by Mrs. Rakiya Dattijo.
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