The ongoing power struggle within the Labour Party (LP) took a dramatic turn on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, as Lamidi Apapa declared himself the new leader of the party, further splitting the already fractured LP into three factions. Apapa’s announcement followed a recent Supreme Court ruling which overruled previous decisions that had recognized Julius Abure as the national chairman of the party.
Apapa, who had been absent from the political scene for about a year, came back with a bold claim that the apex court’s ruling on Friday, April 4, 2025, places him at the forefront of the Labour Party’s leadership. He stated that as the most senior National Deputy Chairman, the court’s judgment gives him the authority to take over the affairs of the party from Julius Abure.
In a statement issued by factional National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Abayomi Arabambi, Apapa declared that his faction’s National Working Committee would convene on April 14, 2025, to discuss important matters, including the zoning of key positions such as National Chairman to the North and National Secretary to the South.
The Supreme Court’s ruling had set aside the Court of Appeal’s earlier decision, which had recognized Abure as the national chairman. The Court also dismissed the appeal filed by the ousted Abure, thereby deeming all decisions made by him since April 4, 2023, null and void. Apapa’s faction sees this ruling as an endorsement of their leadership, placing them in a stronger position to assume control of the party.
Meanwhile, supporters of Governor Alex Otti and the LP presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, reacted with jubilation, presenting the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court ruling during a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja. Otti, in his remarks, emphasized the need for party members to respect the court’s decision, urging them to abide by the ruling even if they were unhappy with it.
Obi, who was present at the event, stated that the party would proceed to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially submit the CTC and initiate the process of replacing Abure’s National Working Committee with their own faction.
The gathering in Abuja, attended by prominent figures like Obi, Senator Victor Umeh, and other political leaders, expressed optimism that the party would now focus on rebuilding, following months of internal conflict.
However, the Abure-led faction swiftly dismissed the claims of legitimacy made by the caretaker committee, with the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, mocking the celebrations and accusing the Otti-Obi group of misinterpreting the Supreme Court ruling. According to Ifoh, the court did not mandate Abure’s resignation, and the legitimacy of the existing National Working Committee remains intact.
Ifoh further criticized the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for its recent directive to mobilize union members to take over the LP’s offices, accusing NLC President Joe Ajaero of attempting to use blackmail tactics to influence INEC and other authorities. He warned that any attempt to destabilize the party would face strong legal opposition.
