By IDNN Political Crisis Desk | Abuja
The Labour Party (LP) has entered full-blown meltdown mode. In a dramatic power play, factional chairman Julius Abure on Wednesday suspended Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Senator Ireti Kingibe, and four federal lawmakers — igniting the fiercest internal war the party has seen since the 2023 elections.
Abure’s National Working Committee (NWC) also wielded the axe on:
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Sen. Darlington Nwokocha (Abia Central)
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Hon. Afam Ogene (Ogbaru, Anambra)
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Hon. Amobi Ogah (Isuikwato/Umuneochi)
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Hon. Seyi Sowunmi (Ojo Constituency)
The official line? “Indiscipline.”
The real story? A high-stakes battle for control of Nigeria’s fastest-growing opposition party — just two years to 2027.
Otti’s Camp Fires Back: “Abure’s a Joke, a Clown!”
Abia Governor Alex Otti hit back instantly — hard.
“Abure is a clown in a desperate search for a crown,” said Otti’s media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma, who labeled the suspension “a joke taken too far” and “an affront on democracy by comedians.”
Otti’s team insists the Supreme Court had already stripped Abure of authority, affirming the Senator Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee as the legitimate LP leadership.
They claim Abure was summoned by the Nenadi-led committee to face charges of “financial misappropriation, impersonation, and anti-party activities” — then rushed out a suspension letter to distract the public.
Obidients, NLC, & Factions Collide
This isn’t just a squabble — it’s a political earthquake.
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Senator Nenadi Usman, reportedly backed by Peter Obi and Alex Otti, claims leadership.
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Abure’s faction insists it’s the rightful authority, releasing financial records and shunning talks of coalition.
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The NLC, which birthed the LP, is threatening to reclaim the party entirely.
Abure’s camp argued that Nenadi Usman “is not even a Labour Party member but an Obidient,” accusing her of defecting to another party with a former Kaduna governor.
But Nenadi’s allies are having none of it. They accuse Abure of dodging accountability.
Fallout Already Spreading
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Ogah, Chair of the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, dismissed his suspension:
“Wherever Otti stands, I stand. Abure needs to go learn politics.”
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Ogene, LP caucus leader in the House, promised to “respond later” — hinting at more fireworks.
🗳 2027 in Sight: LP at a Crossroads
With coalition talks shelved, internal probes exploding, and rival factions gearing up for war, Nigeria’s 2027 race just got messier.
Who leads Labour Party? Who speaks for Obidients? Can the party survive this crack?
Time will tell. But for now, the Labour Party civil war is burning — and no one’s safe.
