Abuja, Nigeria — April 17, 2025
The Labour Party (LP), Nigeria’s self-styled “party of the people,” is currently mired in a leadership crisis threatening its cohesion and chances in the 2027 general elections. The party, which surged to national prominence in 2023 under the banner of Peter Obi, is now fractured into three major factions, each laying claim to legitimate control.
With 6,101,533 votes (25.4% of total ballots) in the 2023 presidential election, the LP emerged as a powerful third force, thanks largely to Obi’s last-minute defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But less than two years later, unity within the party has crumbled under the weight of power struggles and internal strife.
Leadership Crisis Unfolds
The first major crack appeared shortly after the elections when a dispute erupted between Julius Abure, the party’s National Chairman, and Deputy National Chairman (South), Alhaji Lamidi Apapa, over control of the party. Legal battles ensued but were temporarily suspended.
However, a fresh storm hit when former National Treasurer, Ms. Oluchi Okpara, accused Abure of mismanaging N3.6 billion in party funds raised during the electioneering period. The allegations prompted Peter Obi to call for a forensic audit of the party’s finances.
Amid the chaos, Abure’s tenure—extended due to the 2023 election cycle—was set to expire in March 2024. Rather than follow due process, Abure and his loyalists held a controversial national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, on March 27, 2024, renewing his leadership for another four years. Key stakeholders, including Obi, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), were excluded.
In response, a rival convention was held in Umuahia on September 4, 2024, where a 29-member National Caretaker Committee (NCC) led by Senators Esther Usman and Darlington Nwokocha was inaugurated with a 90-day mandate to conduct fresh congresses and elect new leadership.
Legal Tussles and Supreme Court Verdict
The Abure camp swiftly challenged the NCC’s legitimacy in court. While lower courts sided with Abure, the Supreme Court overturned those decisions, citing jurisdictional issues. The ruling, however, has been subject to multiple interpretations.
Abure claims the ruling affirms his leadership, while the Obi-Otti camp argues it validates the caretaker committee’s formation and the expiration of Abure’s tenure.
INEC Derecognition and Party Polarization
By June 2024, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially derecognized Abure’s National Working Committee, citing violations of a 2022 consent judgment. That judgment required the party to conduct an all-inclusive convention beginning from ward to national levels—a condition Abure’s Nnewi convention did not meet.
Senator Victor Umeh, a senior party figure, accused Abure of bypassing this due process. “The correct procedure starts from the ward level. Without that, a national convention lacks legitimacy,” Umeh said.
Governor Otti added that Abure was offered the position of Board of Trustees Chairman to facilitate a smooth exit, but he refused.
Tensions Escalate
Despite opposition, Abure remains defiant. His faction, through National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh, accused Obi and Otti of trying to hijack the party. “There is nowhere in the Constitution of our great party that a so-called National Caretaker Committee is mentioned,” Ifoh said.
The Abure-led National Executive Council (NEC) has threatened disciplinary action against Obi and Otti for organizing a parallel NEC meeting.
Calls for Unity
The growing turmoil has raised alarms across the political spectrum. Auwal Ibrahim, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), warned: “Unless the opposition puts its house in order, it will struggle to convince Nigerians in 2027.”
Meanwhile, Chief Peter Ameh, National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), expressed hope. “The Supreme Court judgment has set the pace. All parties must respect it and move forward. The Caretaker Committee must now open the party’s doors for capable Nigerians.”
As things stand, the Labour Party is effectively split into three: the Abure camp, the Usman-led Caretaker Committee supported by Obi and Otti, and a smaller faction loyal to Lamidi Apapa, who has also resurfaced to stake his claim.
With the 2027 elections on the horizon, Nigeria’s third force risks tearing itself apart—unless reconciliation and unity prevail.
