The Chairman of the Labour Party Political Transition Committee (NLPTC), Abdul Waheed Omar, has declared that the decision of party stakeholders to reclaim their party is final. Omar emphasized that Julius Abure’s tenure ended in April 2023 without a properly organized convention to elect new leadership.
Speaking after a clash between the Abure-led group and his supporters at the party headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Omar highlighted the confrontation as a pivotal moment marking the end of Abure’s leadership. The former NLC President stated, “What played out a while ago was the characteristics of Julius Abure, it is the characteristics of a criminal… Today is the end of Abure’s leadership, whether he has sponsors or not, we must tell him that we are Nigerians as well.”
Omar criticized the police for not protecting the party stakeholders during the attack and vowed to continue their efforts to reclaim the party. “We are going to strategize and come back to continue what we started,” he asserted.
He further explained that the transition committee’s role is to organize conventions and congresses from the ward level to the national level, culminating in the election of new national officers by party delegates. Omar insisted that all party stakeholders agreed on the necessity of this transition to ensure fair and transparent elections.
Highlighting numerous legal cases against Abure, Omar pointed out that Abure’s ascension to power and extension of his tenure violated party rules. “First, he took over leadership while he was not next to the seat at the time… Even when his tenure expired, Abure begged for an extension which he failed to honor,” Omar stated.
Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, Secretary of the NLC political department, called on the FCT Police Commissioner to seal off the Labour Party office until the factions reach an agreement. He believes this is the only solution to the crisis.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Gregory Peter, witnessed the clash and downplayed the internal crisis. He expressed his commitment to reconciliation, stating, “My first assignment was reconciliation, my second assignment was reconciliation, and my third assignment was reconciliation… We are going to sit down around a table and decide the future of our party.”
Peter Obi also commented on the reconciliation between Julius Abure and Lamido Apapa, emphasizing that their unity is crucial for the Labour Party’s future. “Their reconciliation is all about our party, and I can assure you that everyone must reconcile with each other,” he concluded.
