LP crisis deepens as Nenadi Usman faction accuses Abure of commercialising party

 

The Nenadi Usman-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has warned Julius Abure to stop what it described as the “commercialisation” of the party’s structures, insisting that he is no longer recognised as the party’s national chairman.

In a statement issued on Monday by the party’s National Secretary, Darlington Nwokocha, the faction said Abure’s leadership has no constitutional backing, urging him to seek “legitimate means of livelihood” rather than presenting himself as the head of the party.

“The Labour Party is not for sale. Mr Abure and his associates should seek legitimate means of livelihood instead of attempting to commercialise political structures,” the statement read.

Nwokocha accused Abure and his supporters of deliberately misrepresenting the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the leadership crisis within the party in order to mislead members and the general public.

He said Abure’s claim of being the authentic national chairman was a distortion of INEC’s statement of January 7, which reportedly held that his tenure had expired, relying on a Supreme Court judgment delivered on April 4, 2025.

According to Nwokocha, INEC, as the regulator of political parties, had cautioned Abure and his associates against parading themselves as officials of the Labour Party, noting that the commission had rejected candidates submitted by the faction in previous elections as well as for the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) council polls.

He further alleged that Abure and his supporters had filed more than 20 court cases against INEC and the party’s recognised leadership across various courts in the country.

“This conduct amounts to a blatant abuse of court processes and a desperate attempt to plunge the Labour Party into deeper crisis and undermine democratic gains,” Nwokocha said.

He also dismissed claims that Abure was invited by INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, to a consultative meeting with political party leaders, stressing that Abure is not recognised by the electoral body.

Nwokocha equally refuted Abure’s assertion that he was responsible for granting him the party’s senatorial ticket in 2023, stating that he emerged through duly conducted and legitimate party primaries.