By Jane Okafor, Abuja
ABUJA: The Peter Obi-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has called for an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting slated for Wednesday, April 9 at Abuja’s Transcorp Hilton.
The Daily Crucible learnt that the step was taken proactively forestall plans by the Nigeria Labour Congress’ (NLC) to takeover of the party’s national secretariat.
This development followed yesterday’s alarm raised by the Julius Abure-led faction about an imminent NLC occupation of party headquarters by “hired thugs”.
The meeting notice, which was shared on the Facebook page of the Dr Abayomi Arabambi, the National Publicity Secretary of Julius Abure – led camp of the party, was signed by Peter Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
However, a statement signed by Obi’s Spokesman, Ibrahim Umar about the meeting read in part: “The two leading figures of the Labour Party, the 2023 presidential flag bearer Peter Obi and the sole state governor of the party, Alex Oti of Abia State, have summoned the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party in Abuja on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
“In a notice signed by the two men, the NEC meeting shall be followed concurrently by an interactive Town Hall Engagement with major stakeholders and other organs of the party at Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
“The stakeholders listed to attend the meeting include the vice presidential candidate for the 2023 election, serving and former senators and senatorial candidates of LP in the 2023 election, and serving and former members of House of Representatives and LP candidates in the 2023 election.”
The Daily Crucible learnt further that the decision was a subtle ploy by Obi and Otti to knock the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) out of the way and take full control of the LP through his structure/faction ahead of 2027 general elections.
All LP elected officials including senators, House of Representatives members, state legislators and key stakeholders have been listed as invitees to the Abuja meeting where urgent matters of party leadership and strategy will be major focal points of discussion.
But Arabambi, who mockingly reckoned the conveners of the LP NEC meeting in Abuja as All Progressives People’s Democratic Party, a hybrid of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alluded to the planned meeting as amounting to an attack on the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s electoral Act.
In a twist, Julius Abure also summoned a separate meeting of the National Executive Committee to discuss the future of the party following Friday’s judgement by the Supreme Court.
Abure’s NEC was scheduled to be held at the national headquarters.
The statement signed by LP’s Obiora Ifoh, read, “PRESS INVITATION: The National Executive Committee meeting of the Labour Party held on Monday, April 7, 2025, at the National Party Secretariat.”
Shortly after Abure’s invite was released, Obi and Otti also sent out invitations calling for stakeholders’ engagement in what many believed was a counter-move to keep their supporters in line.
The Daily Crucible reports that Peter Obi and Alex Otti had in September 2024 summoned similar expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the party in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, where a 29 – member caretaker committee was set up.
The duo followed it up same September 2024 by writing Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the committee, notifying the electoral umpire that: “You will recall that Labour Party had had a leadership crisis in recent times culminating in the de-recognition of the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) by INEC effective June 2024. This is sequel to the settlement brokered by INEC on June 27, 2022.”
The letter addressed to the national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, sought to notify the regulatory body of the setting up of the caretaker committee to organise the party ‘s congresses and national convention within a period not exceeding 180 days, was dated September 6, 2024, and signed by Obi and Otti.
In the letter, Obi and Otti also drew the attention of the INEC chairman to the leadership crisis plaguing the party, even as they informed him that Senator Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha were appointed by the stakeholders’ meeting as Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of the party’s caretaker committee
Other members of the committee representing critical stakeholders of the party as listed in the letter included representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, and Comrade Chris Uyot.
For the senate, it is being represented in the committee by Senators Victor Umeh, Neda Imasuen, and Ireti Kingibe, while the House of Representatives is represented by Hon. Afam Ogene, Hon. Seyi Sowunmi, Hon. Sunday Umeha, Hon. Donatus Matthew, and Hon. Esosa Iyawe
The former governorship candidates of the party have their interest being represented by Ken Pela (Delta), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Lagos), Jonathan Asake (Kaduna), and Edward Pwajok (Plateau).
The members of the state Houses of Assembly in the caretaker committee included Hon. Edosa Richard, Hon. Harrison Oghara, Hon. Augustine Okezie, and Hon. Clinton Amadi
Representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the committee were Mohammed Misau, Austin Jonah, and Sansa Omalara.
Others members of the caretaker committee are Edwin Bafte Sajo, Nike Oshola, Aishat Madijiem, Ugoeze Caroline Onwubiko, and Dominic Essien.
The letter said the settlement was anchored on the consent court judgement by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on March 20, 2018.
“A major part of the settlement states that an all-inclusive national convention, preceded by ward, local government and state congresses shall be convened not later than one year after signing the terms of settlement,” it stated.
The letter added, “By March 2024, the Abure-led NWC organised a convention at Nnewi without first organising ward, local government and state congresses. This fell short of the standards and the spirit of the terms of settlement as stated above. In the light of all these, a leadership vacuum arose in the party. In like manner, the National Executive Committee membership got depleted leaving less than 10 members standing.
“Given the above scenario, the statutory executives of the party made up of the governor, deputy governor, and legislators, in addition to all surviving members of NEC, the leadership of organised labour, representatives of governorship candidates in the 2023 election and subsequent ones, presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2023 election and other party leaders, met in Umuahia, Abia State, on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 and set up a caretaker committee to organise congresses and the national convention within a period not exceeding 180 days to fill the vacuum created by the expiration of the tenure of the erstwhile leadership of the party at all levels.”
