Abure Faction Reclaims LP Secretariat

Fresh tensions have erupted within the Labour Party following a dramatic move by the Julius Abure-led faction to reclaim the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, just hours after it was taken over by a rival group. This chaotic turn of events occurred late Tuesday night, reversing a significant maneuver made by the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee earlier in the day.

The Abure faction, represented by National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh, announced that the party headquarters had been recovered, claiming the previous takeover was illegal. Photographs emerged showing banners bearing Senator Nenadi Usman’s image being taken down, signaling a physical reversal of the leadership shift that had occurred only twenty-four hours prior.

According to Ifoh, the leadership team recovered the secretariat after allegedly finding the earlier takeover by Usman and the Deputy Governor of Abia State to be unauthorized. He stated that the faction intends to conduct an inventory of losses incurred during the brief occupation and pursue legal action against those involved in the invasion.

In a swift response, Senator Nenadi Usman expressed shock at the development, insisting her faction acted based on a subsisting court ruling that declared Abure’s tenure expired. Speaking through her media advisor, Ken Asogwa, Usman accused the Abure faction of taking the law into its own hands and defying a judicial order.

Usman argued that her group’s initial takeover was conducted lawfully and in broad daylight, expressing disappointment that police presence was not maintained to prevent the Abure faction’s return to the premises. The situation has thrown party members into confusion, with both factions claiming legitimacy over the party’s operations.

This latest conflict stems from a Federal High Court ruling last month that recognized the caretaker committee led by Usman and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to update its records accordingly. Despite filing an appeal, Abure has consistently vowed to resist what he terms an unlawful takeover of his leadership position.