Labour Party Crisis: Why Abure was removed — Details of Umuahia meeting

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party (LP), led by Julius Abure, was removed based on a 2018 court judgement and an agreement facilitated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), according to a resolution reached at a party meeting in Umuahia, Abia State.

At the meeting, convened by Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, the group resolved to dissolve the Abure-led NWC and appointed a 29-member caretaker committee, headed by a former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, with Darlington Nwakocha, a former senator, as secretary.

However, Mr Abure and his supporters have rejected the decision, describing it as illegal.

PREMIUM TIMES obtained the details of the 4 September meeting, which contained the basis for the removal of Mr Abure and the NWC. It was signed by Mr Otti and Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

According to the resolution, a judge, Gabriel Kolawole, on 20 March 2018, ordered the party to conduct an “all-inclusive national convention, preceded by Ward, LG, and State congresses” within a year.

INEC subsequently brokered a settlement in 2022. In compliance with the judgement, the party agreed to conduct the congresses and national convention within a year but postponed it due to the 2023 general elections.

According to the Otti-led group, Mr Abure, in March 2024, held a convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, without complying with the court’s directive. They, therefore, stated that non-compliance with the court directive created a vacuum in the leadership of the party.

“You will recall that the Labour Party has had a leadership crisis in recent times, culminating in the de-recognition of the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) by INEC effective June 2024. This is subsequent to the settlement brokered by INEC on 27 June 2022.

“This settlement was founded on the consent court judgement by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on 20 March 2018. A major part of the settlement states that an all-inclusive national convention, preceded by Ward, LG, and State congresses, shall be convened not later than one year after signing the terms of settlement. Because of the 2023 election, the implementation of this agreement was deferred by one year to 2024.

“By March 2024, the Abure-led NWC organised a convention in Nnewi without first organising Ward, LG, and State congresses. This fell short of the standards and the spirit of the terms of settlement as stated above. In light of all these, a leadership vacuum arose in the party. In a similar manner, the National Executive Committee membership got depleted, leaving fewer than ten members standing,” the resolution reads in part.

Composition of the caretaker committee

The 29-member caretaker committee comprises representatives of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), members from the National Assembly, members elected into state assemblies, governorship candidates in the last election, representatives of the Trade Union Congress, and others.

Members of the caretaker committee, tasked with midwifing a new leadership for the party within 18 months, include Abdulwaheed Omar, Theophilus Ndubuaku, Chris Uyot, Victor Umeh, Neda Imasuen, and Ireti Kingibe.

Others are Afam Ogene, Seyi Sowunmi, Sunday Umeha, Donatus Matthew, Esosa Iyawe, Ken Pela, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, Jonathan Asake, Edward Pwajok, Edosa Richard, Harrison Oghara, Augustine Okezie, and Clinton Amadi.

Mohammed Misau, Austin Jonah, Sansa Omalara, Edwin Sajo, Nike Oshola, Aishat Madijie, Ugoeze Onwubiko, and Dominic Essie are the other members.

Crisis

The Labour Party, which has been in existence for several years, became a major opposition party last year after its presidential candidate, Mr Obi, led the party to third position in the general election.

The party has been in crisis for a long time, with different groups claiming ownership. Before the election, a faction led by Lamidi Apapa fought for control of the party against Mr Abure, but lost out.

Months ago, there was a fallout between Mr Abure and the NLC, which led to the NLC picketing the party’s national headquarters.

The NLC, led by the chairperson of its Political Commission, Theophilus Ndubuaku, had demanded the resignation of Mr Abure, whom it said was not properly elected. While Mr Obi had initially posed as neutral in the struggle, he later backed the NLC. In the same vein, the Apapa’s group teamed up with Mr Abure.

The national convention was later held in Nnewi, Anambra State, where Mr Abure was re-elected as the party’s national chairperson. However, the NLC rejected his election, describing the exercise as “illegal.”

Both the NLC and TUC boycotted the convention, leaving their slots in the executive vacant.

“It is illegality, a nullity. The whole exercise was a charade. Nothing can legitimise such brazen impunity,” NLC spokesperson Benson Upah had said.

The two labour unions, however, attended the meeting convened by Governor Otti on Wednesday and nominated representatives to the new caretaker committee.

It accused Mr Abure of proposing a “secret” national convention in Umuahia, where he would be re-elected as the national chairperson of the party to continue running the party as a “sole administrator.”

With the recent development, it appears the party has now been fully divided into two.

On Monday, the dissolved Abure-led convened a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja. The meeting said that Mr Otti, who convened the Umuahia meeting, did not have the power within the party’s Constitution as provided in Article 14 (4) (B) to do so.

It also said there would be no automatic ticket for Peter Obi, Otti and other party-elected members at all levels.