The Hon. Afam Ogene, leader of the Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives, has indicated that the party’s beleaguered chairman, Julius Abure, retains the option to run for re-election as national chairman if he so desires.
Abure has faced challenges in maintaining his role following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Court of Appeal’s ruling in Abuja, which had previously affirmed his position as the party’s National Chairman.
Earlier in the day, a number of party leaders, including the 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti, established a caretaker committee under the leadership of Senator Nenadi Usman to take over from him. This ruling has intensified disputes within the party, with both factions involved in the case asserting that the decision was in their favor.
During an appearance on a televised show, Hon. Ogene asserted that the judgment effectively removed Abure from his role as chairman. Nevertheless, he noted that Abure still has the opportunity to contest for the position again.
“While he may need to step aside, this does not equate to abandoning the Labour Party. He is welcome to run for election if he wishes to continue as national chairman, but he must adhere to the proper procedures. He will need to wait until we have established the necessary structures from the wards upward,” Ogene stated.
Regarding the party headquarters currently under the control of the Abure faction, Ogene mentioned that they would assume management of the secretariat in the coming days, stressing that they are merely adhering to established protocols.
The Labour Party convened its National Executive Council meeting on Wednesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, chaired by former Finance Minister Nenadi Usman.
Attendees included the 2023 LP presidential candidate Peter Obi, his running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, along with various senators and House of Representatives members affiliated with the party.
