LP Crisis: Alex Otti, Peter Obi’s Faction Rejects Court Ruling, Vows To Appeal

The chairperson of the Labour Party (LP) caretaker committee, Nenadi Usman, has announced plans to appeal a court ruling that affirmed Julius Abure as the party’s national chairman.

Recall that on Tuesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, upheld the leadership of Julius Abure and validated the March 2024 Nnewi convention that produced the current LP executives.

The court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Abure as the legitimate chairman of the party.

In response to the ruling in a brief statement, Usman stated that the caretaker committee, which was established after the case began, joined the lawsuit following a comprehensive briefing.

“This evening, I met with Mr. Peter Obi, Governor Alex Otti, and Senator Darlington Nwokocha, the Secretary of the LP Caretaker Committee,” Usman said.

“We discussed today’s judgment. While the case predates the creation of the caretaker committee, we decided to join after receiving full details. As a result, we have resolved to appeal the decision.”

Usman urged Labour Party members to remain calm and support ongoing efforts to promote reconciliation and unity within the party.

The internal conflict within the Labour Party intensified in February when Oluchi Oparah, the party’s national treasurer, accused Julius Abure of misappropriating N3.5 billion. Abure denied the allegation and threatened legal action, but the claims fueled calls from some party members for his removal.

In April 2023, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court issued an order restraining Abure and other national officers, including Farouk Ibrahim, Clement Ojukwu, and Oluchi Oparah, from holding themselves out as party leaders.

On September 4, following a stakeholders’ meeting convened by Governor Alex Otti in Umuahia, a 29-member caretaker committee was established, chaired by former Senator Nenadi Usman. Top Labour Party figures, including Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed, the party’s vice-presidential candidate, attended the meeting.