The internal leadership crisis within the Labour Party (LP) took a dramatic turn on Friday as the Julius Abure-led faction firmly rejected the appointment of Nenadi Usman as interim national chairman by a rival group within the party.

Usman’s appointment, alongside that of former Senator Darlington Nwokocha as interim national secretary, was announced during a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting convened in Umuahia, Abia State. The meeting was reportedly organized by a faction aligned with Governor Alex Otti and intended to kickstart a reconstitution process ahead of a planned national convention to elect a new NEC.

However, the Abure-led leadership quickly dismissed the Umuahia gathering, describing it as “illegal and inconsequential.” In a strongly worded statement signed by LP National Secretary Umar Ibrahim, the faction accused the conveners of being suspended party members who lack the constitutional authority to summon such a meeting or make appointments.

“The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to yet another illegal gathering of some suspended members of the party parading themselves as members of the party’s National Executive Committee,” the statement read.
“Ordinarily, we didn’t think we should make any comment as regards this perennial jamboree since the meeting and its outcome is inconsequential, null and void.”

Ibrahim cited Articles 14(4)(b) and 13(B)(xii) of the Labour Party Constitution, asserting that only the national secretary, in consultation with the national chairman, holds the power to summon a NEC meeting or constitute any committee.

He labelled the Umuahia meeting and the formation of an interim national working committee as “unconstitutional and of no effect,” maintaining that there is no leadership vacuum in the party. “There has never been any vacancy in the leadership of the Labour Party, and there will not be any until 2028,” he emphasized.

The statement also referenced the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025 judgment, which, according to Ibrahim, reaffirmed the legitimacy of the Abure-led leadership and upheld the principle that internal party matters must be resolved within the party’s own structure.

Ibrahim accused Governor Otti of fueling disunity within the party, claiming that most of Otti’s former allies have already abandoned him. “Governor Otti is probably not aware that his flanks have been exposed, as the majority of his combatants and leaders have deserted him and moved on,” he said.

Calling for calm and party discipline, Ibrahim urged LP members nationwide to disregard the outcome of the Umuahia meeting and focus on party unity. He also advised Governor Otti to redirect his energy toward governance.

“We therefore denounce today’s meeting and call on the members of the party to ignore the outcome of the meeting,” Ibrahim concluded. “We also urge the governor to channel the Abia State resources to providing basic infrastructure for the good people of the state.”