National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has cautioned Senator Seriake Dickson, National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), to be wary of his political alliance with Peter Obi and his supporters, warning that the party could face challenges similar to those experienced by the Labour Party after the 2023 general election.
Abure issued the warning in a statement personally signed on Monday, following Obi’s emergence as the NDC presidential candidate after his ratification at the party’s national convention held in Abuja on May 30.
According to Abure, Dickson appears to have learned from the internal crisis that engulfed the Labour Party, particularly by reportedly refusing to hand over all elective positions within the NDC to Obi’s loyalists.
He noted that political leaders should draw lessons from past experiences, alleging that several politicians who benefited from the Labour Party’s platform later turned against the party’s leadership after securing elective positions.
“History has a way of repeating itself. Senator Dickson and his associates have seen what happened in our party and appear to have learned from it. Many of those who won elections and got into government later turned against the leadership of the party,” Abure stated.
He further described Obi and some of his supporters as ungrateful, claiming they failed to appreciate the sacrifices made by the Labour Party leadership to accommodate their political ambitions.
Abure maintained that it would be risky for the NDC leadership to surrender key elective positions entirely to Obi’s supporters, arguing that party leaders must retain loyal members in strategic positions to protect the party’s structure and leadership.
Reflecting on the 2023 elections, Abure said the Labour Party made significant concessions to Obi and his supporters by granting numerous party tickets, many of which were offered without financial obligations.
He explained that the party leadership approved several nominations based on Obi’s preferences, believing they were investing in individuals who shared the party’s vision and ideology.
According to him, the Labour Party’s internal crisis worsened after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acted on a court ruling indicating that the tenure of the party’s executives had expired, a development that paved the way for the emergence of the Nenadi Usman-led interim national committee.
Abure argued that party members who benefited from the LP platform should have defended the leadership rather than accepting INEC’s position on the matter.
He advised Dickson to ensure that trusted loyalists occupy strategic positions within the NDC, stressing that strong internal support is necessary to preserve party stability during difficult periods.
“He needs people within the party who will stand by him and defend the leadership whenever challenges arise,” Abure said.
The LP chieftain also accused Obi’s supporters of attempting to dominate the NDC’s structure, claiming that they had moved into the party with the intention of occupying key positions, similar to what he alleged happened within the Labour Party.
Abure concluded that no political party leader who closely observed the Labour Party’s post-election challenges would willingly repeat what he described as the same mistake.
Abure Warns Dickson Against Repeating Labour Party’s ‘Mistake’ With Peter Obi Julius Abure, factional
