The Labour Party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, chaired a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Friday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. The gathering was attended by officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and former vice‑presidential candidate Datti Baba‑Ahmed. Its purpose was to address the protracted disputes surrounding the 2024 national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, which had triggered a leadership crisis within the party.
The crisis saw factions and counter‑claims emerge from senior figures, including 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti. In response, Obi and Otti formed a 29‑member caretaker committee to organise fresh congresses and a national convention. However, this move deepened the split, as both sides invoked court orders and constitutional provisions to support their positions.
Abure explained that the NEC meeting was convened to resolve these crises and strategically position the Labour Party for the 2027 election. He cited recent Supreme Court rulings affirming that the leadership and internal affairs of political parties are non‑justiciable and that the NEC has authority to manage party affairs between national conventions. He also thanked the INEC leadership for sending representatives, noting that their presence ratified his stance.
During the session, the NEC reaffirmed the list of national officers elected on 27 March 2024 in Anambra State, retaining Abure as National Chairman and confirming Umar Farouk Ibrahim as National Secretary. Several vacant positions were filled, and the council mandated the chairman and secretary to convene a special convention if necessary. Plans were also approved to conduct ward, local‑government, and state congresses nationwide.
The INEC delegation, led by Mrs. Rakiya Dattijo, included officials from the Litigation and Election and Party Monitoring departments. Abure emphasized that the Labour Party sets the pace and standard for political parties in Nigeria, stressing that parties are corporate entities bound by their own constitutions, rules, and guidelines. With the NEC meeting concluded, the party aims to move forward, having resolved internal disputes and reaffirmed its leadership structure in preparation for the 2027 election.
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