ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The leader of the Labour Party (LP) caucus in the House of Representatives, Hon. Afam Ogene, has said that despite being ousted by the Supreme Court, embattled party chairman Julius Abure can still vie for the position of national chairman if he chooses to follow due process.
Abure’s leadership came under renewed challenge after the Supreme Court overturned the earlier ruling of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had recognized him as the legitimate chairman of the party.
In response, prominent party leaders, including the 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, inaugurated a caretaker committee headed by Senator Nenadi Usman to take over party affairs.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ogene stated clearly that the Supreme Court judgment had effectively removed Abure from office.
READ ALSO: Just In: Supreme Court Sacks Abure As LP National Chairman
However, he emphasized that Abure still has the opportunity to contest again during the next party congress.
“Exit the stage, but that does not mean leaving the Labour Party.
“The door is still open for him to run for election if he wants to remain as the national chairman, but the process must be followed through. He would have to wait when we have the structures from the wards and up”, Ogene said.
Ogene also claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was supporting Abure as part of a strategy to destabilize the Labour Party and weaken the opposition.
Regarding the party’s headquarters, which is currently occupied by the Abure-led group, Ogene stated that the rightful leadership would soon reclaim control of the secretariat, insisting that the process would be lawful and orderly.
“We are simply following due process,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party held its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Wednesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, chaired by Senator Nenadi Usman.
The meeting was attended by key figures in the party, including Peter Obi, his running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed, and Governor Alex Otti. Also present were LP senators and members of the House of Representatives.