THE presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi; Abia State Governor Alex Otti; and other stakeholders have endorsed the Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee.
They have mandated committee to manage the affairs of the party until a national convention is held.
The decision was reached during the LP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and Stakeholders’ Interactive town hall held in Abuja on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
Otti said the Supreme Court’s recent judgment on the Labour Party’s leadership dispute has effectively settled the issue.
He referenced the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment to support his claim.
According to him, the court’s decision removed the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee, paving the way for peace, unity, and order within the party.
Otti welcomed the ruling, stating it validates the creation of a new caretaker committee led by Usman.
“The decisions in favour of Abure were struck out, and his cross-appeal dismissed. The trial courts’ recognition of Abure was set aside,”
“Our Caretaker Committee is not here to hold power but to midwife the emergence of new leadership,” Otti stated.
He also revealed that he had previously offered Abure an opportunity to remain part of the party leadership, either as Deputy Chairman or by contesting again, but that Abure declined.
In his remarks at the meeting, Obi reassured the gathering of his loyalty to the party.
He also assured the party members that he had not left the LP.
Obi emphasised the need for a unified Labour Party driven by a clear ideology, urging stakeholders to work together from local to national levels to rebuild trust and strengthen the party’s structure.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s dire economic situation, expressing concern for ordinary citizens’ welfare and encouraging party members to promote justice and compassion.
“We must speak up when things are wrong. Even if we fail, we must fail doing the right thing,” Obi stressed.
Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of the Abure-led faction, Obiora Ifoh, has disputed the interpretation of the Supreme Court verdict, claiming it didn’t state that Abure’s leadership had lapsed or that the Usman-led committee should take over.
Ifoh insists the Supreme Court respected the party’s autonomy and right to appoint leaders, upholding the precedence of lower court decisions recognising Abure’s leadership.
Ifoh said the LP’s national convention in March 2024 elected new leaders in line with the constitution and the Electoral Act, and their tenure remains valid.
Apapa declares self leader
The leadership crisis took a new turn with Lamidi Apapa declaring himself the party’s leader following the Supreme Court’s judgment sacking Abure as National Chairman.
Apapa cited the apex court’s ruling as his reason for taking over, stating that all court pronouncements have nullified Abure’s actions and decisions since April 2023.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Apapa announced that the party’s National Working Committee as of 2022 will meet on April 14, 2025.
The ICIR reports that the Supreme Court sacked Abure as the national chairman of the LP on Friday, April 4.
The court set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which recognised Abure as chairman of LP.
The apex court, in a unanimous judgment, held that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to declare Abure as the national chairman of the LP, having earlier decided that the case was about the party’s leadership.
The Supreme Court ruled in favour of Usman, a former senator who heads the caretaker committee of the LP.
INEC had earlier claimed that the LP’s national convention held in Nnewi violated the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act and failed to meet legal requirements.
The electoral body claimed Abure’s tenure as LP chairman expired in June 2024 and refused to recognise him as the party’s national chairman.
The commission stated this in response to a lawsuit filed by the LP challenging its exclusion from INEC’s refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
The INEC’s legal team, led by Tanko Inuwa, a senior advocate, said that the LP’s lawsuit seeking declaratory reliefs would not be granted.
A reporter with the ICIR
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