By News24Hours | May 10, 2025 | Politics | Nigeria
The Labour Party’s internal crisis has taken another dramatic turn, as Nenadi Usman, Chairperson of the party’s caretaker committee, has publicly dared factional leader Julius Abure to follow through on his threat to expose key figures in the party—including Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Usman didn’t mince words as she challenged Abure to come forward with whatever “damaging revelations” he claims to have.
“If you have anybody to expose, go ahead and expose them. Why the threats?” she asked.
Earlier this week, Abure, who still claims to be the national chairman of the Labour Party, accused Obi, Otti, and other prominent members of hypocrisy, especially regarding alleged mishandling of election funds during the 2023 general elections. In his words, if provoked further, he would “open his mouth,” and they would become “like smelly, rotten eggs no one wants to buy.”
In a sharp rebuttal, Usman revealed that the party already has evidence of Abure’s misconduct, some of which she says is currently under police investigation.
“We have a lot of things about him. The people he wronged went to the police. The police are investigating him and very soon the public will hear everything,” Usman stated.
She described Abure’s threats as a smokescreen to distract from the legal and ethical issues surrounding his tenure as party chairman.
According to Usman, Abure’s time as Labour Party chairman ended long ago, and both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Supreme Court have weighed in.
She disclosed that during a political parties’ meeting convened by INEC, Abure was reportedly asked to leave, reinforcing that his chairmanship had lapsed. While he obtained an initial court ruling to maintain his position, the Supreme Court eventually overruled it, declaring that the lower courts had no jurisdiction.
“Justice Inyang Okoro made it clear—when your tenure is over, leave office honourably,” she said.
Usman warned that the crisis within the party is more than just internal wrangling—it’s a threat to Nigeria’s democratic framework. She argued that the opposition must be a vibrant, democratic force—not one held hostage by court injunctions or personal ambition.
“Every democracy needs a vibrant opposition. When the opposition tries to become part of the ruling party or refuses internal reforms, there’s a serious problem,” she noted.
Following INEC’s directive, the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee set up a caretaker committee to organize fresh congresses from the ward to the national level. Usman confirmed that Abure and his allies are welcome to participate—if they’re ready to go through an election.
“If Julius Abure wants to lead the party, he should contest. But he and his team don’t want elections—they want to stay in power using the courts. That’s not healthy for opposition politics.”
The internal battle within the Labour Party is far from over, and the coming weeks may reveal more about the rift between competing factions. Whether this power struggle weakens or reinvigorates the LP ahead of the next general elections remains to be seen.
Stay tuned to NewsDesk for real-time updates on this and other top political stories across Nigeria.
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