LP Crisis Deepens, Party Splits Into 3 Factions

The Labour Get together (LP) has cut up into three factions, with every faction claiming management and constructions of the celebration which got here third within the 2023 common election.

The trio of Julius Abure, Senator Nenadi Usman, and Lamidi Apapa are claiming to be the nationwide leaders of the celebration.

The scenario has taken a crucial dimension following the latest Supreme Court docket judgement that put aside the judgement of the Court docket of Enchantment in Abuja recognising Abure because the celebration’s nationwide chairman.

In a unanimous judgement final week delivered by a five-member panel, the apex court docket held that the Court docket of Enchantment lacked the jurisdiction to have pronounced Abure the nationwide chairman of the LP, having earlier discovered that the substance of the case was in regards to the celebration’s management.

After the judgement, the Nationwide Working Committee of the Labour Get together (LP), believed to be loyal to Abure, stated he remained the celebration’s nationwide chairman regardless of the Supreme Court docket’s ruling.

At a press convention after the judgement, the celebration’s authorized adviser, Kehinde Edun, stated that the Supreme Court docket insisted that the decrease courts ought to have declined jurisdiction and never made a pronouncement on a political celebration’s management.

He stated: “The Supreme Court docket judgement didn’t sack LP Nationwide chairman, Abure; as an alternative, it rightly upheld the previous and amassed excessive courts and attraction court docket judgements upholding the immutability of accountability of the celebration constructions to decide on its leaders.

“The judgement didn’t additionally put aside the Enchantment Court docket judgement in LP vs Ebiseni and two others, CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024, delivered on 13 November 2024, which affirmed Abure because the nationwide chairman of the Labour Get together. The judgement remains to be legitimate and subsisting and has not been appealed.

“The implication is apparent: Abure stays the Labour Get together nationwide chairman. The query is, who’re the leaders of the celebration? The Get together structure clearly states who the Get together leaders are. The celebration was led by the Nationwide Working Committee led by Abure.

“The Get together structure additionally clearly states who can name for the Nationwide Conference or any Nationwide Assembly. Article 14 of the 2024 structure, as amended, provides powers to the Nationwide Secretary of the Get together “to concern notices of conferences of the Nationwide Conference, Nationwide Government Councils, the Nationwide Working Committee, NWC, in session with and approval of the Nationwide Chairman.”Additionally, the LP Nationwide Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, famous that the celebration’s management known as the nationwide conference on March 27, 2024, when the Get together’s leaders emerged.

“The management of the Get together is, subsequently, happy with the judgement of the apex court docket, which fits to reaffirm Abure because the nationwide chairman of the Get together and the present NWC, as validly elected, having been duly nominated, endorsed, and ratified by means of the interior mechanism of the Get together statutory organs in step with the celebration’s structure.

“We’re subsequently calling on all precise celebration members to abide by the apex court docket’s judgement, at all times resort to inside celebration mechanisms in resolving celebration affairs, and to not rush to the court docket.

“Solely the political events can select their leaders, not the courts. Everyone should study to respect the selections of the Get together and its Structure.

“The place of the Supreme Court docket is that the constructions of the celebration are able to dealing with any issues as they concern its affairs, and as it’s immediately, the LP nationwide chairman is, and stays, Abure,” he added.

In the meantime, Lamidi Apapa on Wednesday declared himself the celebration’s chief at a press convention, citing the apex court docket’s latest judgement as his justification.

Apapa stated all of the court docket’s pronouncements had nullified all actions and selections Abure had taken since April 2023.

In a press release signed by NLC deputy nationwide chairman Mr Ladi Iliya, deputy nationwide chairman of TUC Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, nationwide secretary Umar Farouq Ibrahim, nationwide authorized adviser Barr Oyelekan Akingbade; nationwide publicity secretary Dr Abayomi Arabambi, and nationwide treasurer Mrs Oluchi Opara, Apapa stated the celebration’s Nationwide Working Committee as of 2022 would meet the next Monday, April 14, 2025.

The assertion learn, “Following the dismissal of the cross-appeal filed by the ousted former nationwide chairman Barr Julius Abure, additionally by the Supreme Court docket on 4th April 2025, what this implies is that each one actions and selections taken by Julius Abure since 4th April 2023 are null and void.

“Following the choice of the Supreme Court docket on setting apart all judgements that recognise the management of Julius Abure as nationwide chairman, I, Alh Bashiru Lamidi Apapa, probably the most senior deputy nationwide, and in consonance with our celebration structure, Article 14 2(a)(b), hereby take over the operating of the affairs of our nice celebration with impact from immediately, Wednesday, the ninth day of April 2025, in an performing capability, and Alh Farouk Umar Ibrahim as nationwide secretary.

“My management hereby calls on all members of the Labour Get together that the Nationwide Working Committee of our celebration as of 2022 will meet subsequent week, Monday, 14th April 2025, to announce our plans, which is able to embrace zoning the place of nationwide chairman to the North and nationwide secretary to the South,” Apapa stated.

Equally, on Wednesday, high-profiled leaders and members of LP stormed the headquarters of the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) in Abuja, demanding the popularity of Nenadi Usman because the celebration’s nationwide chairman.

Led by the LP 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Abia State Governor Alex Otti, the celebration’s members had been acquired by INEC nationwide commissioner and performing chairman, Sam Olumekun who was holding forth for the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who had travelled to the Gambia to attend the ECOWAS Community of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) assembly

They LP delegation urged the electoral umpire to recognise Usman because the celebration chairman following the latest Supreme Court docket verdict that put aside the judgement of the Court docket of Enchantment in Abuja recognising Julius Abure because the celebration’s nationwide chairman.

In a unanimous judgement final week delivered by a five-member panel, the apex court docket held that the Court docket of Enchantment lacked the jurisdiction to pronounce Abure the LP nationwide chairman, having earlier discovered that the substance of the case was in regards to the celebration’s management.

The court docket allowed the attraction filed by Usman and one different. It held that it was meritorious earlier than dismissing the cross-appeal filed by the Abure faction of the LP for being unmeritorious.

Confirming the event on its X(Twitter) deal with, the fee stated: “A high-level delegation of the Labour Get together (LP), led by Abia State Governor Dr Alex Otti, on Wednesday visited the headquarters of the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) in Abuja to debate key developments inside the celebration.

“Throughout the go to, Governor Otti formally introduced a Licensed True Copy of the latest Supreme Court docket judgement in regards to the celebration’s management. He famous that the assembly aimed to foster readability, mutual understanding, and institutional alignment relating to the LP’s present construction.”

It stated the fee reaffirmed its dedication to neutrality, transparency, and the rule of regulation in discharging its constitutional duties.

Subsequently, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) known as on employees, LP members, and different pro-democracy advocates to organize for a nationwide reclamation of the celebration’s places of work following a Supreme Court docket ruling invalidating Abure’s management of the celebration.

In a press release, NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero condemned Abure’s refusal to adjust to the Supreme Court docket’s April 4, 2025, judgement, which declared his tenure as LP Nationwide Chairman expired and his Nationwide Working Committee (NWC) legally unrecognised.

In accordance with Ajaero, the court docket’s determination aligned with the NLC’s longstanding competition that Abure’s management had exceeded constitutional limits.

Ajaero accused Abure and his allies of “reckless assault towards the rule of regulation” for dismissing the decision, warning that their actions risked decreasing Nigeria to a “banana republic.”

The labour chief burdened that the NLC would now not tolerate “impunity and disdain for constitutional order,” urging supporters to organize for peaceable efforts to repossess LP places of work below directives from the NLC Political Fee.

Ajaero additional cautioned safety companies, together with the Nigeria Police Drive and State Safety Service, to implement the court docket’s ruling and never comply with it to undermine Nigeria’s authorized integrity.

The NLC additionally known as on the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) to expunge all references to Abure’s faction from its information and urged surviving LP Nationwide Government Committee (NEC) members to nominate interim management.

The assertion reads partially: “Whereas each right-thinking Nigerian anticipated Mr Julius Abure and the few desperadoes round him to just accept the Supreme Court docket judgement that affirmed what the NLC has been saying for a very long time in regards to the expiration of his purported tenure as Labour Get together Chairman, they’ve taken steps to carry the judgment of the Supreme Court docket in grave contempt.

Within the strategy of their reckless assault towards the grain of constitutionality and the rule of regulation, they’ve falsely claimed that the Nigeria Labour Congress has deliberate to stage an assault towards Labour Get together places of work”.

“We urge each employee in Nigeria, all real members of the Labour Get together and all lovers of democracy to be on standby to as soon as once more peacefully repossess all places of work of the Labour Get together nationwide. The management of the NLC Political Fee and different involved Labour Get together stakeholders will likely be issuing the mandatory directives to this impact.

To resolve the management vacuum within the Labour Get together, the surviving institutional members of the LP Nationwide Government Committee (NEC) are anticipated to nominate interim management, which is able to conduct an inclusive Particular Nationwide Conference for the celebration by the provisions of the LP Structure and the consent judgement.

“Any step outdoors these constitutional procedures will likely be an affront to the rule of regulation and tantamount to an unmitigable assault on constitutional rule. Nigerian employees and other people will stoutly resist such mischief”.