In his first public appearance following the Supreme Court’s ruling last Friday, National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, on Monday asserted that there is no leadership vacuum in the party.
Abure made the statement during a press conference held at the party’s national secretariat, ahead of a scheduled National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
He emphasized that the Supreme Court’s decision reaffirmed the principle of party supremacy and underscored that internal party affairs remain the exclusive domain of political parties.
“There is no vacancy in our party,” Abure declared. “In the Labour Party, we do not betray our candidates, even though some have betrayed us after we gave them tickets.”
While addressing the recent internal tensions, Abure took a veiled swipe at the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, suggesting that both had distanced themselves from the party after benefiting from its platform.
He also dismissed interpretations suggesting that the Supreme Court ruling had invalidated his chairmanship. “We urge those misled by last week’s inaccurate interpretation of the judgment to disregard such speculation. I remain the National Chairman of the Labour Party,” he stated.
Abure further clarified that the LP’s constitution does not provide for the formation of a caretaker committee, calling any such move unconstitutional and unauthorized.
