The Labour Party (LP), which came third in Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, has plunged into an escalating crisis as it splits into three opposing groups that are each struggling to take over the party’s leadership and structures.
Julius Abure, Senator Nenadi Usman, and Lamidi Apapa are all asserting to be the genuine national chairman of the party, generating confusion as well as internal squabbles. The crisis escalated after a recent Supreme Court ruling nullified an earlier Court of Appeal decision, which affirmed Abure as the national chair of the party.
In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court ruled that the Appeal Court lacked jurisdiction to make a pronouncement on the party’s leadership dispute, stressing that internal party matters should be handled within the party structure.
In spite of the judgment, Abure’s loyal NWC members maintained that he remains the original chairman. LP legal adviser Kehinde Edun reasoned during a press conference that the judgment did not nullify earlier judgments reaffirming Abure’s stance and that political leaders can only be decided by political parties and not by courts.
Edun maintained that the Supreme Court did not overturn the Court of Appeal’s judgment in LP vs. Ebiseni, which affirmed Abure as chairman. He stated that Abure was duly elected through the party’s constitutional processes at the March 27, 2024, convention.
The Party’s constitution is explicit, Edun stated. “Only the National Secretary can convene national meetings or conventions, but in consultation with the National Chairman. Abure is still the national chairman.”.
In the meantime, Lamidi Apapa, relying on the same Supreme Court judgment, also pronounced himself acting national chairman. Apapa, during a press conference on Wednesday, stated that all decisions made by Abure since April 2023 were null and void.
In a statement read to other officials claiming authority from the 2022 NWC, Apapa stated intention to reconvene the committee on April 14, 2025, and announced intention to zone the national chairman position to the North and the national secretary position to the South.
As tensions escalated further, a third group under the leadership of Senator Nenadi Usman gathered steam. On Wednesday, top LP chieftains, among them 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, headed a delegation to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
They presented a Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment and requested the commission to pronounce Usman as the authentic national chairman of the party. The acting chairman Sam Olumekun received the INEC officials because INEC chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu was away to attend a regional meeting in The Gambia.
Governor Otti elucidated that they were there to request clarification and institutional adherence on the leadership of the party, maintaining that INEC has to adhere to the Supreme Court ruling. INEC verified the visit on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, saying: “A high-powered delegation of the Labour Party (LP), led by Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti, on Wednesday visited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja to brief the Commission on important developments in the party.” As the battle for leadership rages on, the future of the Labour Party is left in limbo as its cohesion and stability are significantly undermined.
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Olawale Moses Oyewole is an adept writer who stays on top of current events and curate informative and engaging articles for his readers. He is a digital strategist who help brands gain online visibility.
