The leadership crisis within the Labour Party (LP) took a dramatic turn on Monday as ousted national chairman Julius Abure announced the release of “free nomination forms” despite multiple court rulings affirming Senator Nenadi Usman as the party’s legitimate leader. The move was swiftly rejected by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the party’s national leadership, who accused Abure of acting in defiance of court orders and the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Abure’s Defiant Announcement
In what many party insiders described as a “comic political drama bordering on defiance,” Abure declared that aspirants across the country could freely download and submit nomination forms through his faction’s structures. He insisted that he remains the party’s authentic national chairman, citing the LP’s March 2024 convention in Nnewi as the source of his mandate. Abure argued that his faction would continue to participate fully in preparations for the 2027 general elections pending a final determination by the Supreme Court.
Usman-Led Leadership Dismisses Move
The Usman-led leadership swiftly dismissed Abure’s initiative as “illegal, deceptive and desperate,” warning aspirants against “worthless forms being circulated by impostors.” A senior party source aligned with the Usman leadership stated, “This has moved from politics to outright comic desperation. You cannot be removed by the courts, rejected by the party, and still behave as though you are running a parallel republic.” The party accused Abure of attempting to lure unsuspecting aspirants into a process that could ultimately collapse legally.
Legal Background and Reactions
The latest confrontation comes months after the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed Abure’s appeal challenging the legitimacy of the Usman-led caretaker leadership. Despite these rulings, Abure has continued to parade as national chairman, rolling out a nationwide “free forms initiative” for aspirants. The party emphasized that only forms issued through its recognised national secretariat in Utako, Abuja, remain valid.
Party Spokesperson Warns Aspirants
Reacting to the development, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, warned aspirants and party supporters against obtaining nomination forms from Abure, describing the documents as “worthless paper.” He stated, “Let it be stated clearly and unequivocally that Usman is the National Chairman of LP, and all legitimate nomination forms for every elective position ahead of the 2027 general elections can only be obtained through the official national secretariat of the party located in Utako, Abuja. Consequently, any so-called LP nomination form obtained from Abure or any other unauthorised source is nothing but worthless paper being peddled by political fraudsters seeking to deceive unsuspecting persons.”
Social Media Drama
The fresh drama was fueled by photographs on social media showing Abure presenting nomination forms to a former National Vice Chairman of the party, Ceekay Igara, and others in Abia State. This further deepened the confusion within the party, as aspirants determined to contest under the LP platform trooped to the party secretariat led by Usman to obtain authentic forms. The development, which could have plunged the party into deeper disarray ahead of the 2027 general elections, ultimately failed to gain traction as aspirants sought legitimate channels.
Abure defended the distribution of free forms as part of the LP’s ideological commitment to inclusiveness and grassroots participation, insisting that the initiative was designed to make politics affordable to ordinary Nigerians. However, the Usman-led leadership remains firm in its position, warning that any engagement with Abure’s faction would be at the aspirants’ own risk.
