On Friday, May 16, Nenadi Usman, Chairperson of the Labour Party (LP) caretaker committee, openly challenged Julius Abure, the factional national chairman of the party, to follow through on his threat to expose top LP figures including Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti.
Appearing on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, Usman fired back at Abure’s earlier comments where he warned that if he chose to speak, the reputations of key opposition leaders would suffer irreparable damage.
“I challenge him—if you have something to expose, go ahead and do it. Don’t talk, act,” Usman declared. “We also have records of Abure’s conduct, and some of his actions are already under police investigation.”
Usman’s remarks deepen the rift within the LP, as the party continues to be mired in a fierce leadership crisis that pits Abure against a caretaker committee backed by Peter Obi, Alex Otti, and Senator Ireti Kingibe.
According to Usman, the conflict is not merely about personalities, but about restoring internal democracy in the Labour Party.
“In a healthy democracy, a strong opposition is necessary. When opposition figures try to align themselves with the ruling party, that’s a problem,” she said.
Usman also contended that Abure’s tenure had expired, a position she said was supported by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and affirmed by the Supreme Court.
“The Supreme Court was clear Abure’s tenure was over. Justice Inyang Okoro even advised leaders to step down honorably once their tenure ends,” Usman said, referring to a recent ruling that invalidated lower court decisions which had compelled INEC to recognize Abure.
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, INEC reportedly directed the LP to organize fresh congresses from ward to national levels. Usman said that the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) responded by setting up a caretaker committee to supervise the process and lead the party into a new era.
“The NEC decided to form a committee to organize congresses and elect new leaders. That’s what we’re doing,” she explained.
While Abure has insisted on his legitimacy, claiming legal backing, Usman accused him of dodging internal party democracy.
“He can contest again if he wants, but he and his allies don’t want elections—they just want to stay in power through court orders. That’s not how democracy works.”
Tensions escalated earlier this month when the Abure-led faction suspended Otti and Kingibe on May 7 for alleged anti-party activities. In retaliation, the Usman-led faction suspended Abure two days later for continuing to parade himself as party chairman despite the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Both factions have interpreted the court verdict to their advantage, leaving the party in a state of legal and political limbo. The feud has not only fractured party unity but also risks damaging the LP’s standing ahead of the 2027 elections.
