The Nigeria Labour Party (LP) is facing internal conflict as the 2014 executive members are demanding the implementation of a 2018 consent judgment. This judgment, if enforced, would nullify Julius Abure’s position as the national chairman, raising questions about the party’s stability.
At a press conference in Abuja, Callistus Uju Okafor, who was the acting National Chairman in 2014, and Mamman Bukar, the acting National Secretary, asserted that the 2014 national executive holds the legal authority to convene a convention to rectify irregularities within the party. Okafor, elected deputy chairman in 2014 and later acting national chairman in 2017, accused Abure of illegitimately assuming the chairmanship.
Okafor presented court documents and emphasized that the 2018 consent judgment mandates a comprehensive national convention, which has not yet been held. He detailed how the then-national chairman, Alhaji A. A. Salam, defied the judgment by extending his tenure and conducting an illegal convention in 2019.
Despite attempts at peace, including a settlement mediated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in June 2022, Abure reportedly ignored the agreements and extended his tenure illegally. In response, the 2014 National Working Committee members, beneficiaries of the consent judgment, have pledged to oversee an inclusive convention within six months to reconcile factions and restore stability to the Labour Party.