LP factions clash again

•Otti/Nenadi Usman-led NCC seeks court order stopping Abure from
parading himself as chairman •It’s another exercise in futility —Spokesman

The leadership crisis in the Labour Party (LP) has further deepened as the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) headed by a former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, has gone before a Federal High Court in Zamfara State, seeking to stop  the national chairman, Mr Julius Abure, from parading himself as a leader of the LP.

Abia State governor, Dr Alex Otti, and other senior party officials belong to the faction led by the former minister.

The development is coming weeks after the Supreme Court in its July 4 judgment, declared that internal matters of political parties should be resolved using their internal mechanisms, and not the judiciary.

Incidentally, both the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Abure and the NCC under the control of Usman have held tightly to the reins of power at the LP since the apex court delivered the judgment, with no successful engagements made in resolving the dispute.

Using their ally, Alhaji Sule Garba, the Otti/Usman camp, in Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/30/2025, filed an exparte motion at the court in Gusau, seeking an order to stop Abure and the national secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, from acting on behalf of the party in any capacity.

But, on May 15, Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim, of the Federal High Court, Gusau, declined to grant the order sought by the representative of Otti and Usman, pending the determination of the matter.

The judge asked that all the respondents, including Abure, Ibrahim, the LP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be put on notice first before proceeding with the matter.

Subsequently, the court ordered an expeditious hearing of the suit and adjourned the matter to June 4th, 2025.

The national publicity secretary of the LP, Mr Obiora Ifoh, in a reaction to the latest twist on Monday in Abuja, expressed surprise over what he described as the “desperation” of the Otti/Usman faction to control the party.

Ifoh stated: “We are shocked to learn that some of our leaders are desperately shopping for court orders from every nook and cranny to ensure that crisis persists in the party and to stop INEC from recognising our leadership. In their desperate mood, they left Abuja and journeyed with night bus, all the way to Zamfara, yet the court refused their prayers.”

“This won’t be the first time they have resorted to court order shopping. They went to Aba last year on a similar mission to shop for court order and they were refused. I really don’t understand the kind of stiff-necked leaders that are emerging in Nigeria today, where people see a mission that is practically impossible, yet they will prefer to sink a ship in their desperation to catch a fish.

“It is regrettably that up till now, some people are still busy chasing shadows, while other serious political parties and their leaders are tilling the ground in anticipation of a bountiful harvest ahead of 2027. Why would someone wake up one morning and start fighting himself? This is not normal again.

“I am sure you have read the Supreme Court judgement very well. Is there anywhere the Supreme Court said it has removed Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, or anywhere it ruled that Nenadi Usman has now become the new chairman. Even INEC had admitted that the stakeholders meeting held in Umuahia that enthroned Nenadi Usman was illegal.

“We are using this opportunity to appeal to all our estranged members to allow reason to prevail and obey the Supreme Court pronouncement on the supremacy of the party.”

The Usman-led NCC has yet to give a position on the latest development.

The NCC recently set up disciplinary panel to investigate the tenure of Abure.

In a swift reaction, the Abure-led NWC immediately suspended Otti and several senior members of the LP.

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