A fresh round of internal crisis has erupted in the Labour Party as the Julius Abure-led faction has strongly disowned Friday’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Umuahia, describing it as “illegal, unconstitutional and of no consequence.”
The party’s National Secretary, Umar Farouk, in a statement released on Friday in Abuja, accused Governor Alex Otti of Abia State of “using public resources on political trivialities” and urged him to focus on governance instead of meddling in party leadership matters.
“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,” Farouk said in the statement titled ‘Illegal NEC: Otti advised not to use Abia State resources on trivialities’.
“Ordinarily, we didn’t think we should make any comment as regards this perennial jamboree since the meeting and its outcome are inconsequential, null and void,” he added.
Governor Otti had, during the inauguration of Senators Nenadi Usman and Darlington Nwokocha as interim National Chairman and National Secretary of the party respectively, called on Abure and factional leader Lamidi Apapa to apologise before being reintegrated into the party. Farouk, however, dismissed the legitimacy of the Umuahia NEC that appointed the interim officers.
Citing Articles 14(4)(b) and 13(B)(xii) of the Labour Party Constitution, Farouk stressed that only the recognised National Chairman and National Secretary have the constitutional authority to convene a NEC meeting.
“By the above provisions, every meeting convened by the suspended Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, and the Caretaker Committee, being the product of the illegal Umuahia meeting, is unconstitutional and of no effect,” he said.
He further stated that there was no leadership vacuum in the party, insisting that no valid leadership change can occur until 2028. “It is important to note that there has never been any vacancy in the leadership of the Labour Party and there will not be any until 2028,” Farouk declared.
Referencing a Supreme Court ruling delivered on 4 April 2025, he reiterated that all intra-party disputes must be handled in accordance with the Labour Party constitution. Farouk also accused Governor Otti of losing touch with the party’s internal realities.
“Dr. Otti and his co-travellers must know by now that the train of the party has moved on and the party is focused ahead of the 2027 general election with or without them,” he said.
“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 is probably living in ignorance and in the past,” Farouk added.
The Abure-led faction therefore called on party members to ignore the outcome of the Umuahia meeting and focus on preparations for future elections. “We also urge the governor to channel the Abia State resources to providing basic infrastructure for the good people of the state rather than wasting resources chasing shadows,” the statement concluded.
