April 7, 2025 — GLiDE NEWS
By Agboola Aluko | Lagos
F resh concerns have emerged within the Labour Party (LP) following an alleged plot by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and members of a factional caretaker committee to take over the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
In a swift response, the party’s embattled National Chairman, Julius Abure, reportedly deployed police officers and private security personnel to secure the premises. Two police vans and about eight officers were observed stationed outside the LP headquarters, creating a tense atmosphere on Sunday.
According to LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the security measures were necessary following misinterpretations of the Supreme Court judgment delivered last Friday, which has sparked varied reactions among party stakeholders.
In an official statement, National Secretary of the Labour Party, Umar Ibrahim, alleged that elements aligned with the NLC and the caretaker committee headed by Nenadi Usman were mobilising thugs to storm the secretariat. He claimed the move was financially supported by a sitting governor and another unnamed senior figure within the party.
Ibrahim warned that the objective was to ransack the office, seize sensitive documents, and cause destruction—similar to previous incidents attributed to the NLC’s involvement.
He stated:
“The Supreme Court judgment was unambiguous. It reaffirmed that internal party issues must be resolved within the political party. Nowhere in the ruling did it empower the NLC or the caretaker committee to assume leadership or forcibly take over party property.”
He further emphasized that Julius Abure remained the legitimate National Chairman, having been duly elected during the party’s convention in March 2024.
“We will resist any attempt to remove this leadership through force or illegal means. Security agencies must act swiftly to prevent any breach of peace, and those behind such plots—no matter their influence—must be held accountable,” he added.
Efforts to reach the Acting Chairman of the NLC’s Political Commission, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, proved unsuccessful. However, in a brief message, he indicated he was in a meeting and would respond later.
Responding to the allegations, the spokesman for the caretaker committee, Tony Akeni, dismissed the claims as baseless and psychologically driven by guilt.
“They are fleeing even when no one is chasing them. This is a case of an illegal occupant who has overstayed his welcome and is now resisting eviction. The court was clear—Abure cannot continue to parade himself as party chairman.”
Akeni argued that if Abure and his allies respected the law, they would have relinquished control of the secretariat and handed over leadership to the caretaker committee following the ruling. He, however, promised that any transition would be done within the bounds of legality.
The internal rift escalated after the Supreme Court nullified a previous Court of Appeal ruling that had upheld Abure’s leadership. In its verdict, the apex court held that disputes concerning party leadership remain internal matters and outside the judiciary’s jurisdiction. It also observed that Abure’s tenure had legally expired, rendering any claims of continued leadership invalid.
While the ruling has been interpreted differently across party lines, Abure’s camp insists it reaffirms their authority, even as he remains largely silent in the public space since the decision.
Adding his voice to the matter, Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South in the National Assembly, hailed the court’s decision, describing Abure’s exit as necessary for restoring stability within the party.
“The Labour Party has endured serious turmoil since the 2023 general elections. Abure's leadership became more about personal interests than the party’s future. This judgment is a step towards healing and rebuilding,” the senator said during a press briefing in Benin.
As the leadership tussle deepens, political observers say the party’s future now hinges on how it manages internal reconciliation and avoids further fragmentation ahead of the next electoral cycle.
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