Abure-Led LP Reclaims National Secretariat Amid Usman Dispute
Fresh tensions rocked the Labour Party on Tuesday night as the Julius Abure-led faction claimed it had reclaimed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, just 24 hours after the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman took control.
The Abure faction, through its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said in a statement that the secretariat, which was “forcefully” taken over earlier on Tuesday, had been recovered. Photographs accompanying the statement showed banners and billboards with Usman’s image being removed.
“The Julius Abure-led leadership of the Labour Party has recovered the party’s national secretariat illegally occupied by the Abia state government and Nenadi Usman’s group earlier today,” the statement read.
The faction described Usman’s takeover as illegal and unauthorised, promising to inventory losses and pursue legal action. “The party will take inventory of the losses and outright theft that are observed resulting from the illegal invasion, after which a formal charge will be pressed,” the statement said.
Obiora Ifoh warned against further attempts to disrupt the party, adding that any leadership disputes should await final court decisions. Party activities at the secretariat were scheduled to resume on Wednesday.
Reacting to the development, Usman, through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, described the night-time takeover as defiance of a subsisting court judgment.
She said, “There is a court judgment in place that says Abure has ceased to be the national chairman of the party. Now, someone has just gone there to take the law into his own hands. Have we gone bananas in this country?”
Usman maintained that her faction’s takeover was lawful and conducted openly, adding that she expected police to prevent any illegal actions.
The development came a day after Usman and Abia State Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu assumed control of the party’s Utako headquarters under heavy police presence.
Banners bearing Abure’s image were replaced with those of Usman, and strict security checks were enforced.
Last month, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Abure’s tenure as National Chairman had ended, ordering INEC to recognise a caretaker committee led by Usman pending a national convention. INEC updated its records to list Usman as acting chairman.
Despite filing an appeal, Abure has vowed to resist what he describes as an unlawful takeover of the party.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
