Abuja, Nigeria – The internal rift rocking the Labour Party (LP) took a dramatic turn on Monday, April 7, 2025, as the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, and its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, scheduled separate meetings of the National Executive Committee (NEC), further fueling speculations of an ongoing power tussle within the party.
While Abure convened his faction of the NEC at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, Obi, alongside Abia State Governor Alex Otti, summoned a separate meeting and stakeholder summit at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in the Federal Capital Territory.
The conflicting invitations were issued within hours of each other. Abure’s NEC invitation was made public via a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh. The statement simply announced that the NEC meeting would hold on Monday, April 7, at the LP National Secretariat.
Shortly afterward, Obi’s camp released a separate communiqué, which many observers view as a counter-strategy to assert his influence within the party. The statement, issued by Obi’s spokesman, Ibrahim Umar, disclosed that the former Anambra governor and Governor Otti had jointly summoned a parallel NEC meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
The notice revealed that the meeting would also include a stakeholder engagement session expected to feature an interactive town hall. Among those invited are LP’s 2023 vice presidential candidate, serving and former senators, members of the House of Representatives, and other candidates who contested the last general election under the party’s platform.
The development follows a Supreme Court judgment delivered last Friday, which has seemingly intensified the struggle for control of the LP’s leadership and direction ahead of future political contests.
More updates are expected as the situation unfolds.
Join our Channel...