The leader of the Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives, Hon. Afam Ogene, has stated that embattled party chairman, Julius Abure, still has a chance to return as national chairman—provided he follows due process.
Ogene made this known on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he affirmed that the recent Supreme Court ruling effectively removed Abure from the party’s leadership.
“Exit the stage, but that does not mean leaving the Labour Party,” Ogene said. “The door is still open for him to run for election if he wants to remain as the national chairman, but the process must be followed through. He would have to wait until we have the structures from the wards and up.”
The Supreme Court had earlier set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had previously recognised Abure as the party’s national chairman. The decision has since triggered internal conflict, with both factions claiming victory.
In response, a caretaker committee led by former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, was constituted to take over the party’s leadership. The committee enjoys the backing of key figures including the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi; his running mate, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed; and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
Ogene accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly supporting Abure in a bid to destabilize the Labour Party. He also revealed that the current occupation of the party’s national secretariat by the Abure-led faction would be addressed soon, emphasizing that his group is committed to following due process.
The Labour Party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Wednesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, was chaired by Senator Usman and attended by Obi, Datti, Governor Otti, and several party lawmakers from both chambers of the National Assembly.
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