- Governor Alex Otti stated that the Labour Party remains open to reintegrating the embattled former National Chairman, Julius Abure, and his supporters as the party prepares for 2027.
- Otti noted that over 25 state chairmen previously aligned with Abure participated in the recent national convention and were elected into the new National Working Committee (NWC).
- The Governor expressed absolute confidence in the ability of the newly elected National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, to stabilize the party following her two-year tenure as caretaker chairman.
- Otti clarified that the Labour Party is not bound by any agreements from the Ibadan opposition summit, as the party was holding its own convention at the time and did not agree to a single presidential candidate.
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has extended an olive branch to Julius Abure and his loyalists, emphasizing that the period of internal disagreement is over.
Eko Hot Blog reports that speaking on Thursday during the inaugural meeting of the party’s NWC in Abuja, Otti characterized the transition as a “no victor, no vanquished” situation where the ultimate goal is a stronger, more integrated party.
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The Governor highlighted that the reintegration process is already well underway, pointing to the inclusion of former Abure-aligned state chairmen in the current NWC as evidence of successful reconciliation.
He tasked the newly inaugurated 34-member committee with continuing these efforts to bring back as many members as possible before upcoming primaries.
Senator Nenadi Usman, who previously led the party’s national caretaker committee, has officially assumed leadership for a four-year term.
Her legitimate status was reinforced by an appellate court verdict and formal recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following a directive from the Federal High Court.
Addressing external political developments, Governor Otti distanced the Labour Party from the recent opposition summit held in Ibadan.
He maintained that because the party was occupied with its national convention, it was not a party to any agreements reached there, particularly concerning the adoption of a unified presidential candidate for 2027.
Despite the conciliatory gestures from the party’s current leadership, tensions remain as Abure has previously rejected the Court of Appeal’s decision affirming Usman’s leadership, signaling a potential further challenge at the Supreme Court.
However, the current NWC appears focused on internal dexterous management to prepare the party for the political cycle ahead.
