Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has called for unity and discipline within the Labour Party (LP) amidst the ongoing leadership crisis, stressing the need for members to respect the recent Supreme Court ruling that affirmed Senator Nenadi Usman as the party’s National Chairman.
Otti made the appeal on Friday during the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, which was attended by prominent figures including the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero.
The Abia governor, who remains the party’s only sitting governor, emphasized that the NEC meeting was convened in line with the Supreme Court judgment, which nullified the claims of Julius Abure to the chairmanship position.
“As law-abiding people, we felt we should obey the Supreme Court judgment,” Otti said. “What we are here to do is to begin a structured process by formalising some key committees, like the interim National Working Committee, which will oversee party activities until a new NEC is elected at the convention.”
He urged members of the Julius Abure-led faction to demonstrate humility and abide by the court’s decision, adding that the unity and success of the party must come before individual ambitions.
Otti also commended the NLC for its role in founding the Labour Party but noted that the party has since grown beyond its origins. He called on all party members to work together in harmony for the collective progress of the party.
On his part, NLC President Joe Ajaero reaffirmed the Labour Party’s identity as a party for the common man, urging members not to be discouraged by the current internal crisis.
“Anyone that is not with us or aligned with the Labour force and still claims to be chairman is simply daydreaming,” Ajaero said. “When the day of reckoning comes, we will say we don’t know you.”
The Labour Party has been mired in a protracted leadership tussle, pitting Julius Abure and his allies against the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee formed with the backing of key figures such as the 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi and Governor Otti.
In April, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction to affirm Abure as National Chairman, having earlier determined that the matter was an internal party issue. The apex court also noted that Abure’s tenure had expired, ruling in favour of Senator Nenadi Usman and dismissing a cross-appeal by the Abure faction as unmeritorious.
With the legal battle seemingly settled, Otti and other party stakeholders are now pushing for reconciliation and stability as the Labour Party sets its sights on the 2027 elections.
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