Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central in the National Assembly, has stated that the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding the Labour Party (LP) leadership dispute has effectively ended Julius Abure’s tenure as the party’s chairman. During his appearance on Channels Television’s Politic Today on Thursday, Umeh urged Abure to heed the Supreme Court’s guidance and step down gracefully.
“The door has been closed on him (Abure), and the only course of action left is for him to contemplate the Supreme Court’s advice that party officials should possess the humility to vacate their positions when their term concludes,” Umeh remarked during the broadcast.
“His term has ended, and he is aware of it. He is violating an agreement that was established as a consent judgment by the Federal High Court, which outlined specific actions he was required to undertake, yet he has failed to comply. Since then, Abure has not convened any congress.”
Umeh further encouraged Abure to accept the opportunity presented by Senator Nenadi Usman’s National Caretaker Committee to re-engage with the party if he believes that the members wish for him to continue as chairman. He emphasized that Abure cannot simply declare himself chairman without undergoing the proper re-election process. Umeh noted that Abure should have heeded his advice, drawing from his extensive experience as the long-serving chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The senator expressed that he had anticipated this situation and had previously offered counsel to Abure, who dismissed his suggestions.
The Labour Party (LP) is currently facing a leadership conflict, with Abure and his cabinet members opposing the National Caretaker Committee led by Nenadi Usman, which was established by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, along with Governor Alex Otti and other elected officials.
