The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, expressed confidence on Wednesday that the party’s internal disagreements would be resolved well before the 2027 general elections.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja, Abure noted his readiness to reconcile with the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Abia State Governor Alex Otti, and other aggrieved members of the party.
The comments came shortly after a meeting between the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and national chairpersons of political parties in Nigeria. Abure denied ongoing speculation about a rift between him and the camps of Obi and Otti, describing the disputes as overblown.
He said, “Our misunderstanding has been exaggerated and must be seen as a family affair, which would be resolved amicably within the family. I want to say essentially that what we have are just squabbles within the party. For me, there are no hard feelings.
“As I said earlier, this is an opportunity for those who may have one grievance or the other against the leadership of the party to come together. Let us reconcile our differences and chart a way forward for our party. For me, I am open for reconciliation.
“I believe the interest of Nigeria and the interest of the party supercede every other interest. So it is my appeal for every aggrieved member of the party to come back for the interest of the party and for the interest of Nigeria.”
Abure’s statement followed a recent Court of Appeal decision recognizing him as the National Chairman of the Labour Party and nullifying the Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee, which was set up by the Obi and Otti camps. In response, the caretaker committee has decided to take the matter to the Supreme Court, prolonging the ongoing dispute.
When asked whether the disagreements could be settled before the 2027 election season, Abure sounded optimistic. He described such conflicts as common within political organizations and even beneficial for strengthening democratic processes.
“I am sure that very soon, all our differences will be put aside, and we will again speak authoritatively with one voice and come out stronger and very effective in the political space. There is no political party without some differences; it is a game of interests, and there will always be conflicting interests in every political environment.
“I believe we will come out better and stronger. Now we have seen our strengths, we have also seen our weaknesses and I am sure that all of these, put together, will reshape the party and make the party better and we will perform better in future elections,” he stated.
