The faction of the Labour Party loyal to Julius Abure has reaffirmed that he remains the party’s National Chairman, maintaining that his tenure runs until 2028.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategic Communications, Aju Elumelu-James, the group said it was compelled to speak out due to what it described as “a flurry of conflicting narratives” surrounding the party’s leadership.
The statement noted that although the leadership dispute is currently before the Court of Appeal, legal proceedings should not be confused with what it termed misinformation about constitutional facts.
According to the faction, the leadership succession followed due process. It recalled that after the death of former National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, in December 2020, Deputy National Chairman Maria Lebeke stepped in as acting chairman.
“She convened a National Executive Council meeting, and Barrister Julius Abure was unanimously elected on March 29, 2021, to complete the tenure of the late chairman,” the statement said.
The party further explained that before the initial tenure expired in June 2023, a National Executive Council meeting held in Asaba in April 2023 extended the leadership by one year.
It added that before the expiration of that extension in June 2024, a National Convention was held on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi, where the current leadership emerged. Following that convention, Abure’s tenure is expected to run until 2028.
Describing claims that his tenure has lapsed as “fallacious, misleading and mischievous,” the faction insisted that the position remains constitutionally valid.
The statement also addressed interpretations of the Supreme Court’s stance, clarifying that the apex court did not rule on the validity of the Nnewi convention or party leadership. Rather, it held that leadership disputes within political parties are internal matters over which courts lack jurisdiction.
The Abure-led group urged members and the public to rely on what it described as verifiable constitutional provisions and to disregard misinformation. It stressed that only the party’s recognised organs—the National Working Committee, National Executive Council and National Convention—have the authority to determine leadership issues.
The development comes amid heightened tensions within the party, following a January ruling by the Federal High Court that removed Abure as chairman and recognised a caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman. The Usman-led group had also recently accused Abure’s supporters of invading the party’s national secretariat, further deepening the internal crisis.
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