The leadership dispute within Nigeria’s Labour Party (LP) has grown more intense following a Supreme Court ruling that added fuel to an already heated internal struggle. Two opposing factions have now called for separate National Executive Council (NEC) meetings, each claiming legitimacy over the direction of the party.
On Monday, the group led by Barrister Julius Abure convened its NEC gathering at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. Meanwhile, another NEC meeting has been announced by stakeholders aligned with the 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti. Their meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, also in Abuja. This group is operating under what they call a “Caretaker Team,” led by Senator Nenadi Usman.
The notice for the Obi/Otti faction’s meeting came through a statement signed by Ibrahim Umar, spokesperson for the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR).
“The two leading figures of the LP, the 2023 Presidential flag bearer Peter Obi and the sole state governor of the party, Dr Alex Oti of Abia State, have summoned the NEC of the party in Abuja on Wednesday, April 9, 2025,” Umar stated.
The group also plans to hold an interactive Town Hall engagement with major party stakeholders at Transcorp Hotel following the NEC session.
Umar further noted that attendees would include LP’s 2023 vice presidential candidate Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, current and past senators, House of Representatives members, former gubernatorial candidates, representatives of the NLC/TUC political commission, and members of the former National Working Committee (NWC).
He said the meeting is being called in response to last week’s Supreme Court ruling, which effectively terminated the leadership of the Abure-led NWC.
On Friday, Nigeria’s Supreme Court delivered a unanimous verdict, setting aside an earlier judgment by the Court of Appeal that had recognised Julius Abure as the Labour Party’s National Chairman. The court noted that the leadership dispute was an internal matter over which courts have no jurisdiction, and that Abure’s tenure had already ended.
The judgment favoured an appeal filed by Senator Nenadi Usman and another individual. The apex court ruled the appeal to be valid, while dismissing a cross-appeal from Abure’s camp.
However, Barrister Abure responded by saying the Supreme Court actually ruled that lower courts should not have intervened in the party’s internal issues, and therefore, both Senator Usman’s appeal and the party’s suit should not have been entertained in the first place.
Following the ruling, both sides have interpreted the judgment as supporting their claim to leadership. The Abure-led group has already hinted that the ongoing NEC meeting may lead to disciplinary actions, including potential suspension of Peter Obi and Governor Otti over what they term anti-party activities. They have also stated that Senator Nenadi Usman is not a recognized member of the Labour Party.
