The Labour Party, led by Julius Abure, has withdrawn the automatic tickets previously reserved for the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, for the 2027 elections. This decision was made public in a resolution from the Abure faction after the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Monday.
The Labour Party announced that it has now opened all its electoral positions, from the presidency to the House of Assembly, to all eligible Nigerians, meaning no one will be granted automatic candidacy for the upcoming elections.
This development follows a meeting held by several Labour Party leaders, including Peter Obi, Alex Otti, and some Senators and House of Representatives members of the party, in Umuahia, Abia State, last week. During the meeting, a 29-member caretaker committee was formed to manage the party’s leadership temporarily. The committee, led by former Minister of Finance Nenadi Usman, was tasked with organizing an election for new leadership within 90 days.
However, the NEC, in a communiqué signed by Julius Abure and National Secretary Umar Ibrahim, declared the decisions made at the stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia null and void. The Abure-led faction insisted that there was no leadership vacuum within the party, stating that a National Convention had already been held in accordance with the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act, and the Nigerian Constitution on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi, Anambra State.
The NEC also called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, to refrain from aiding Abia State Governor Alex Otti in what they described as efforts to undermine the party.
According to the NEC, Otti had repeatedly cited the INEC Chairman’s claim that the tenure of the party’s officers had expired, using this as justification for his actions in convening the meeting and forming the Caretaker Committee.
The NEC urged party members and the public to disregard the Umuahia meeting and its outcomes, reaffirming confidence in the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC). It also called for members to continue supporting and respecting the party’s leadership and follow its lawful directives.
Additionally, the NEC granted authority to the NWC to fill vacant positions within the committee and approved the organization of State, Local Government, and Ward congresses as scheduled by the NWC in line with the party’s constitution and relevant laws.
Furthermore, it approved the establishment of a disciplinary committee as outlined in the party’s constitution and agreed to review certain disciplinary actions against members in a spirit of reconciliation.
