Rita Odafe
Nenadi Usman, chairperson of the Labour Party’s caretaker committee, has openly challenged former LP national chairman, Julius Abure.
She invited him to follow through on his threats to reveal information about the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State’s governor, Alex Otti.
It’s worth noting that Abure had claimed he would expose Obi and Otti, declaring they would be viewed as “rotten eggs” after he disclosed his findings.
In her recent appearance on Channels Television, Usman encouraged Abure to act on his threats.
“I challenge him to reveal the truth. If you have something to disclose, you shouldn’t just talk about it—you should actually expose it,” she remarked.
She emphasized that the Labour Party possesses documentation regarding Abure’s actions, some of which are under investigation by the police.
“There is substantial information concerning him, which is why those affected reported him to the police,” she stated.
“The police are looking into his actions, and soon the public will be informed,” she added.
Usman characterized the ongoing turmoil within the LP as a threat to internal democratic processes.
“It’s essential for any democracy to have a strong opposition,” she pointed out.
“When opposition members seek to become part of the ruling faction, that’s when issues arise. This is precisely our current situation,” she elaborated.
Usman highlighted that Abure’s time as national chairman has ended, and the party is actively working to fill the leadership gap in accordance with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.
She explained, “The Labour Party faced challenges with INEC because Abure’s tenure had reached its conclusion.”
“That’s why, during a meeting with political party leaders called by INEC, he was asked to leave along with his secretary,” she noted.
Usman recounted that following this INEC encounter, Abure sought legal recourse and obtained a court ruling in his favor, compelling INEC to acknowledge him as chairman.
“Naturally, we appealed. Even at the appellate court, the decision still supported him being recognized by INEC,” she recalled.
She pointed out that Abure’s name remains listed on the INEC website “by court order,” which contradicts the democratic practice of electing leaders.
“You’ll find his name accompanied by ‘by court order.’ Leadership should arise from elections, not mandated by a court,” she asserted.
The former finance minister noted that a supreme court ruling later determined that the lower courts did not have the authority to declare Abure as chairman.
“Our case reached the supreme court, which examined the matter closely and concluded that the two lower courts lacked jurisdiction,” she stated.
“They affirmed that his term had ended, and he is no longer the chairman of the Labour Party,” she explained.
According to her, Justice Inyang Okoro, who delivered the judgment, warned political leaders against clinging to power beyond their term.
