“We’ve taken back Labour Party” — Governor Otti declares leadership crisis over after Supreme Court ruling

On Friday, May 2, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State declared that the leadership crisis within the Labour Party (LP) is resolved, claiming the party has been “retrieved” from Julius Abure, the embattled National Chairman.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, Otti dismissed Abure’s insistence that there is no leadership vacuum in the party, reacting strongly to the recent Supreme Court judgment that nullified the Court of Appeal’s recognition of Abure as LP chairman.

“Today we have fought and retrieved the Labour Party,” Otti said.
“I will send you the Supreme Court judgment, and when you finish reading it you will know that Abure is just masturbating.”

The Supreme Court ruled that the Court of Appeal in Abuja lacked the jurisdiction to declare Abure the National Chairman, which Otti views as a final blow to Abure’s claim to leadership.

Otti, who was elected under the LP platform in 2023, also raised questions about the party’s future:

“I can’t say I wouldn’t leave the Labour Party; what if the party is non-existent tomorrow?” he asked, emphasizing his belief in standing by principles over party loyalty.

Meanwhile, Julius Abure has continued to insist that he remains the party’s leader and that the court decision did not remove him from office.

The internal dispute has exposed deepening cracks within the Labour Party, even as it attempts to position itself as Nigeria’s leading opposition alternative.