.As Otti leads LP delegation to INEC, presents Court’s CTC
AKOR SYLVESTER, Abuja
Following the recent Supreme Court judgment on the Labour Party crisis that declared an end to Julius Abure’s leadership of the party, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it is now ripe for it to reclaim and reposesses the offices of the party nationwide.
To that effect, it has directed every worker in Nigeria, all genuine members of the Labour Party and all lovers of democracy to be on standby to once again peacefully repossess all offices of Labour Party nationwide.
The Congress said its leadership of Political Commission and other concerned Labour Party stakeholders will issue necessary directives to this effect.
NLC therefore put all the security agencies especially the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service on notice that they have a constitutional duty to enable and enforce the judgement of the Supreme Court.
The Congress said it expects their cooperation as it pursues the rule of law, stating that any action to the contrary, will present the dear country as a banana republic.
The statement of NLC signed by its President, Joe Ajaero reads: “Following the explicit and unambiguous judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered on Friday, 4” April 2025 declaring that the tenure of Mr. Julius Abure and his National Working Committee has elapsed and that Mr. Abure and members of his National Working Committee are not recognised by law as constituting the leadership of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Julius Abure has been releasing press statements rejecting the straightforward pronouncement of the Supreme Court and insisting that his leadership of the Labour Party is still intact.
“The current affront of Mr. Julius Abure and co-travellers against the law especially his resistance to the pronouncement of the highest court in Nigeria has convinced those who doubted our earlier position that Mr. Julius Abure and the few miscreants following him have sworn themselves to utter impunity, crass disdain for decency and utmost disrespect to Nigeria’s laws.
“While every right thinking Nigerian expected Mr. Julius Abure and the few desperadoes around him to accept the Supreme Court judgement that affirmed what the NLC has been saying for a long time about the expiration of his purported tenure as Labour Party Chairman, they have taken steps to hold the judgment of the Supreme Court in grave contempt. In the process of their reckless assault against the grain of constitutionality and the rule of law, they have falsely claimed that the Nigerian Labour Congress has planned to stage an attack against Labour Party offices.
“We use this medium to put every Nigerian worker, labour party members and patriotic citizens on alert. We will no longer condone the antics of inconsequential characters like Mr. Julius Abure whose only relevance is their availability for mischief and inanity at the behest of silhouettes in the corridors of power.
“The Supreme Court is one of the most enduring institutions and beacons of not only the rule of law but our sovereignty as a country. Nigerian workers and people, especially genuine members of the Labour Party, will not sit back and watch unscrupulous elements desecrate Nigeria’s laws and the well-founded judgement of the Supreme Court.
“If we fail to take action, it means that we have accepted the complete deconstruction of the institutions of state and the desecration of the shared values that bind all of us as one people under constitutional rule.
“As authentic Labour Party leaders known to all Nigerians continue to take steps to recover and reposition the party as the vehicle for the emancipation of the Nigerian masses, we wish to warn that characters like Julius Abure should advise themselves to recuse themselves from the path of complete self-destruction they have embarked upon through their headless and heedless affront to the judgment of the Supreme Court that has swept their existence into oblivion.
“Just as we warned him about a year ago that Nigerian workers and genuine members of the Labour Party will always collect what belongs to them no matter how long a mischief lasts.
“By this communication, we urge every worker in Nigeria, all genuine members of the Labour Party and all lovers of democracy to be on standby to once again peacefully repossess all offices of Labour Party nationwide. The leadership of the NLC Political Commission and other concerned Labour Party stakeholders will issue necessary directives to this effect.
“We are also putting all the security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service, on notice that they have a constitutional duty to enable and enforce the judgement of the Supreme Court. We expect their cooperation as we pursue the rule of law. Any action to the contrary, will present our dear country as a banana republic.
“Finally, we call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which had always pleaded alignment with the pronouncement of the court of law in the leadership issues in the Labour Party to give full effect to the conclusive judgment of the Supreme Court by removing every insignia of Mr. Julius Abure and his National Working Committee from its portals.
“To resolve the leadership vacuum in the Labour Party, the surviving institutional members of the LP National Executive Committee (NEC) are expected to appoint an interim leadership which will conduct an inclusive Special National Convention for the party in line with the provisions of the LP Constitution and the consent judgement.
“Any step outside these constitutional procedures will be an affront to the rule of law and would be tantamount to an unmitigable assault on constitutional rule. Such mischief will be stoutly resisted by Nigerian workers and people”.
Meanwhile, a delegation from the Labour Party, led by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, visited the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja on Wednesday to discuss recent developments within the party.
According to a post via the commission’s X handle, Otti presented a Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment regarding the party’s leadership.
The presentation was part of efforts to promote clarity and understanding about the party’s current leadership structure.
The delegation was received by INEC’s Acting Chairman, Sam Olumekun, and other National Commissioners.
The discussions focused on strengthening collaboration between the LP and INEC, as well as reinforcing democratic principles.
Olumekun emphasised the commission’s commitment to maintaining neutrality, transparency, and the rule of law in fulfilling its constitutional duties.
The post read, “A high-level delegation of the Labour Party, led by Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti, on Wednesday visited the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja to discuss key developments within the party.
“During the visit, Governor Otti formally presented a Certified True Copy of the recent Supreme Court judgment concerning the party’s leadership. He noted that the meeting was aimed at fostering clarity, mutual understanding, and institutional alignment regarding the LP’s current structure.
“The delegation was received by INEC’s Acting Chairman, Sam Olumekun, and other National Commissioners. Both parties engaged in discussions centered on enhancing collaboration and reinforcing democratic values.
“Olumekun reaffirmed the commission’s unwavering commitment to neutrality, transparency, and the rule of law in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.”
On Friday, the Supreme Court nullified the Court of Appeal’s judgment, which had recognised Julius Abure as the LP’s national chairperson.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Appeal Court had no jurisdiction over the internal affairs of the party.
the National Commissioner, Olumekun, is the Acting Chairman of INEC at the moment.
The Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, travelled to the Gambia to attend the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions meeting.
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