9am News report confirms that the battle for control of the Labour Party (LP) has resurfaced, as the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee has openly asserted its legitimacy and warned prominent party figures Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti to respect the recent Supreme Court judgment on party leadership.
The statement was made during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, where LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, declared that there is “no vacuum in the party leadership”, dismissing claims by the Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee of assumed control.
Abure Camp Reaffirms Leadership
Ifoh, speaking on behalf of Abure, said the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025 judgment reaffirmed the legality of the party’s national convention held on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi.
He stressed:
“The Supreme Court, contrary to speculations, actually reaffirmed the National Convention of the party held on March 27, 2024. The judgment emphasized that political parties are governed by their own constitution, and disputes should be resolved using internal mechanisms as stipulated by the party’s guidelines.”
Citing precedent from Abegunde Vs. Ondo State House of Assembly & Ors. (2015) LPELR-24588 (SC), he underscored that party members, having voluntarily joined, are bound by internal rules and cannot impose alternative interpretations of the party constitution.
The LP spokesperson warned that Obi and Otti are fuelling the ongoing division in the party, despite what he described as a clear ruling from the apex court.
“We admonish Alex Otti and Peter Obi to hear the Supreme Court loud and clear,” Ifoh stated.
Dispute Over Supreme Court Verdict
The latest declaration comes two weeks after Peter Obi and Otti’s supporters presented the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment during a parallel National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, where they insisted that the ruling discredited the Abure-led leadership.
Governor Otti had claimed that the judgment clarified all ambiguity surrounding party leadership and that it effectively invalidated the Abure tenure. However, Abure’s camp insists otherwise, asserting that their leadership remains intact and legally recognized.
Abure stated:
“The party fulfilled all constitutional and legal requirements ahead of the national convention. Those claiming our tenure has expired are simply misinterpreting the judgment.”
Efforts to get reactions from the Nenadi Usman faction yielded no concrete response. Tony Akeni, spokesperson for the caretaker committee, requested time due to health reasons and did not return subsequent calls.
Similarly, repeated attempts to contact Umar Ibrahim, Peter Obi’s media aide, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
This renewed dispute raises fresh concerns about Labour Party’s internal cohesion ahead of future elections, especially as the party continues to grapple with leadership wrangling that threatens to destabilize its grassroots support.
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