No ultimatum to Obi, Abure has no authority — LP caretaker leadership
The caretaker leadership of the Labour Party (LP), headed by Senator Nenadi Usman, has dismissed the purported 48-hour ultimatum issued to the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, by a faction led by Julius Abure, describing it as baseless and lacking legitimacy.
In a statement released on Thursday and signed by Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the caretaker chairman, the party reiterated that Obi’s involvement in the emerging opposition coalition was undertaken with the full backing of the party’s leadership.
The statement denounced the ultimatum as “mischievous,” asserting that the Abure-led group has no legal or moral authority within the Labour Party. It also clarified that those issuing the ultimatum had long been removed from the party’s leadership through a Supreme Court ruling and were suspended for persistent anti-party activities.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the leadership of the Labour Party, on May 26, 2025, publicly declared its full support for Mr. Peter Obi’s involvement in the coalition efforts aimed at creating a robust political alternative to rescue Nigeria from the disastrous misrule of the APC,” the statement read.
It further described the Abure faction as “political jesters” seeking relevance, insisting that only the office of the caretaker national chairman can speak for the Labour Party on such matters.
The party said it “wholeheartedly welcomes” the Nigerian-driven coalition movement, reaffirming that Obi retains its endorsement and remains the party’s presidential hopeful should the coalition platform not solidify before the 2027 general elections.
Senator Usman’s caretaker committee was installed following prolonged internal strife within the LP, which saw multiple individuals, including Abure, Callistus Okafor, and Lamidi Apapa, laying claim to the party’s leadership.
The statement urged the media and the public to ignore the distractions from “discredited elements” and rely only on official communication from the Nenadi Usman-led leadership.
