A faction of the Labour Party (LP) loyal to Julius Abure has reaffirmed that he remains the party’s National Chairman and will hold the position until 2028, dismissing claims suggesting his tenure has expired.
The clarification was issued on Tuesday in a statement signed by Aju Elumelu-James, Special Adviser on Media and Strategic Communications to Abure.
According to the faction, the clarification became necessary because of what it described as a surge of misleading reports about the party’s leadership structure.
“A flurry of conflicting narratives has flooded the public space regarding the leadership of the Labour Party, particularly concerning the tenure of Barrister Julius Abure,” the statement said.
The group stressed that although a legal dispute over party leadership is currently before the Court of Appeal, misinformation should not be confused with the constitutional and procedural facts governing the LP.
“The ongoing judicial process does not justify the distortion of verifiable constitutional facts,” it noted.
The faction outlined the sequence of leadership transitions within the party. Following the death of former National Chairman Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam in December 2020, Maria Lebeke, who was Deputy National Chairman, assumed office as acting chairman.
It added that she later convened a National Executive Council meeting where Julius Abure was unanimously elected on 29 March 2021 to complete the remainder of the late chairman’s tenure.
The statement further explained that ahead of the expiration of that tenure in June 2023, the NEC convened in Asaba in April 2023 and extended the leadership’s mandate by one year. Before the extended term ended in June 2024, the party conducted a National Convention on 27 March 2024 in Nnewi, which produced the current leadership.
“Following the March 2024 convention, his tenure is expected to run until 2028,” the faction emphasised.
Responding to ongoing disputes, the statement faulted claims that Abure’s tenure has elapsed.
“It is fallacious, misleading, and mischievous to continue to suggest that the tenure of Barrister Julius Abure has expired,” it declared.
The group also clarified the Supreme Court’s stance on party leadership issues.
“The Supreme Court did not delve into the issue of party leadership or the validity of the convention held in Nnewi. The Court merely held that matters concerning the leadership of a political party are internal affairs of that party and that the courts lack jurisdiction to entertain such disputes.”
The Abure-led faction urged members and the general public to rely on “verifiable constitutional facts” and disregard what it described as deliberate misinformation. It added that only the LP’s recognised organs the National Working Committee, National Executive Council, and National Convention are empowered to determine leadership matters.
This comes amid heightened internal tensions. In January, a Federal High Court ruling removed Abure as chairman and recognised a caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman. Last week, the Usman-led NWC accused Abure’s supporters of invading the party’s national secretariat, further deepening the crisis within the LP.
