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The embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, on Tuesday expressed his willingness to reconcile with aggrieved members and party stakeholders, appealing to the 2023 LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to help mediate and unify the party.
Abure’s plea came just a few hours after the Federal High Court in Abuja declared the contentious national convention, which reaffirmed his leadership and that of the National Working Committee, as valid.
The court’s ruling also mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise Abure as the legitimate leader of the party.
The court upheld the legality of the March Nnewi convention, describing it as constitutional and in line with the country’s legal framework.
In response to the ruling, Abure released a statement titled, “A New Dawn for Labour Party: Victory, Forgiveness, and Unity,” in which he called for unity and offered an olive branch to those who had opposed his leadership.
“This victory is not just mine, but a victory for justice and democracy. It confirms that the rule of law prevails and that our party’s leadership remains legitimate. Now that the court has spoken, I offer my forgiveness to those who attempted to undermine our party and engaged in character assassination and blackmail, especially of my person,” Abure stated.
He continued, “Forgiveness must be accompanied by repentance and restitution. It is my sincere hope that those involved in these actions will reflect on their mistakes, come forward with a repentant heart, and reconcile themselves with the party.
“Be that as it may, I call on Peter Obi, our former presidential candidate, to help unite the party. I assure you that our doors are open to all. In the coming days, we will focus on rebuilding our structures, reconnecting with grassroots, and uniting members. We will heal old wounds and emerge stronger than ever before.”
The decision comes amidst internal tensions within the Labour Party.
Abure has been at odds with party bigwigs and stakeholders who opposed his re-election, arguing that the Nnewi convention that returned him to office was neither expansive nor inclusive enough.
In July, Obi, Abia State Governor Alex Otti, and several party stakeholders established a 29-man caretaker committee, chaired by former minister Nenadi Usman, to temporarily oversee the party’s affairs and conduct a broader election to form new executives at the ward, local government, state, and national levels.
However, Justice Emeka Nwite, in his ruling on Tuesday, issued an order compelling INEC to validate and recognise the Abure-led leadership of the Labour Party.
“The plaintiff has proved his case, and I hereby make an order compelling the defendant to accord the plaintiff’s political party under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure all the rights and privileges accorded to a political party duly registered in Nigeria,” the judge held.
