LP Crisis: Obi’s Visit Intensifies Abure’s Troubles

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in last year’s general elections, Peter Obi, last week paid a surprise visit to the headquarters of the party in Abuja on Tuesday.

However, the visit earlier perceived to be an endorsement of the national chairman, Julius Abure, outlived its glamour quite shortly, as suspension hammer descended on the embattled national chairman over the weekend.

Reports emerged on Saturday that Abure was suspended from the party in Ward 3 in Arue-Uromi, in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State for alleged high-handedness and anti-party activities.

A letter of suspension dated May 14, 2024, and another letter of ratification dated May 15, 2024, both of which were ratified at a meeting of the state executive committee on Friday night in Benin, stated that the suspension is with immediate effect.

It advised Abure to stop holding out or parading himself as a member of the party.

The letter of suspension was signed by the Ward Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, and Ward Secretary, Stanley Usiomoh.

It was reported that the embattled national chairman of the party has been caught in the web of several allegations ranging from financial misappropriation to anti-party activities. However, he has continued to deny any wrongdoing.

Obi had addressed his supporters on X space in March after the party’s controversial national convention.

He said he missed the convention because the party leadership, led by Abure, failed to consult widely with important party stakeholders before holding the convention.

The former Anambra State governor also said he was more committed to creating a new Nigeria than a new Labour Party.

But in what seemed like a change of heart, Obi visited the LP office, urging aggrieved party members to put the survival of Nigerians and Nigeria first above all other interests.

He said he was at the national secretariat for a visit to the chairman and that he would continue to work to bring all warring parties over the crisis in the party to become united.

“For now let us talk about how we are going to survive till then because we politicians always focus on the next election and not about human beings.

“Let us focus on Nigeria, and see that Nigeria works, if Nigeria is working, the Labour Party will work,” Obi said.

As expected, Abure seized the opportunity and swiftly urged varying groups of dissent voices over the controversial Nnewi convention to come together.

Abure said they should set their personal interests aside and work for a party that would make a good show in the next election season.

“I want to say this very clearly, the convention has come and gone, all those who are still angry with us over the Nnewi convention, we want to appeal to them and that they should all come together to work with us to build the party for a new Nigeria that has a vision.

“I believe very strongly that personal interest should be put aside and pursue a new Nigeria that will work for all,” he said.

Reports also stated that the visit stirred further trouble for Abure, leading to his suspension from the party.

The Edo State chairman of the party, Hon Kelly Ogbaloi, in an exclusive interview with reporters, said there were heavy allegations against Abure.

He stated that the party’s EXCO in Ward 3 in Arue-Uromi and the Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State presented a document containing various allegations leveled against the embattled national chairman to the state executive committee, leading to the endorsement of his suspension.

He said, “the Ward and Local Government EXCOs submitted some documents carrying various degrees Of allegations of wrong doings.

“The state council looked at the matter and considered that there was sufficient weight in the allegation and that was why we endorsed the suspension.

“When there are such allegations, what we do is to put such a person in suspension in order to allow for a thorough investigation and that is what we did.

“He (Abure) was suspended in personal capacity not as National Chairman but just as a party member

“We are setting up a committee to look into the allegations so that if at the end of the day, the National Chairman is not found guilty, the suspension can be vacated and he will return as a member of the party”.

Asked to explain the anti-party activities Abure was accused of, Ogbaloi said, “anti-party here doesn’t mean he has a strong affair with the opposition.

“If there is anything that is likely to bring the party into dispute, or attitudes that do not follow the objective of the party, we can term it as anti-party”.

On how the current leadership crisis in the Labour Party may affect the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state, he said, “Although we are not clearly separated from challenges as you can see, we are doing our best. We are not losing focus due to the challenges we have at hand.

“We are keeping our parts right and making sure that all the required strategies that can lead us to winning this election are doubled up.

“I can assure Nigerians, especially party supporters, that we are not losing sleep in spite of the hard times we are currently facing.

“We will get there and compete appropriately like any other political party, we are going there to win the election and nothing else.”