Peter Obi and Alex Otti suffer setback as court affirms Abure Labour Party national chairman

The Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit brought before Justice Emeka Nwite has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Julius Abure as the substantive Chairman of the Labour Party.

Justice Nwite on Tuesday delivered the ruling validating the Abure-led leadership of the party.

He also validated the March 2024 Nnewi convention of the Party that produced the national leadership, while issuing an order compelling the INEC to recognise the leadership.

Recall on September 18, 2024, the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) accused the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, of betrayal.

Abure camp had made the accusation after the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) announcement that it did not recognise Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

Abure, who spoke through the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in a statement said the meeting was not organised by the party and therefore does not reflect its position or interests.

The statement read: “As clearly stated in our previous statement, the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti and all others who have converged in Umuahia have no power within the party constitution, the Electoral Act and even within the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to convene any meeting of the party. The combined reading of the two provisions shows clearly that the so-called meeting in Umuahia is a charade, a waste of time and resources of Abia people.

“The premise on which Governor Alex Otti called the meeting is not only faulty but mischievous. Government business is not transacted verbally but through official communication and correspondences which are done in writing. As we speak, there is no communication whatsoever from INEC to the party as regards any objection to the conduct of the national convention. We challenge Alex Otti to produce the official letter addressed to him from INEC on the subject matter. There is no vacuum in the leadership of the party.

“Consequently, the so-called caretaker committee set up by the Governor of Abia State is not known to the constitution of the party and can best be described as a department in Abia State Government House. We are shocked to note that the so-called chairman of the caretaker committee is not a registered member of the party. She surfaced to assist during the Peter Obi presidential campaign,” the statement added.

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