The faction National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labour Party (LP) has announced an open contest for all its electoral positions for the 2027 general elections.
This decision overturns a previous resolution made at the party’s national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, on March 27, 2024, which had reserved the Presidential and Abia State Governorship tickets for Mr. Peter Obi and Alex Otti, respectively.
The NEC meeting, chaired by the Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, took place in Abuja yesterday. During the meeting, the NEC also disowned a 29-member Interim Committee led by Senator Nanedi Usman, which was previously set up to manage the party’s affairs for 90 days.
The committee’s resolution stated: “The NEC reviewed the decision of the National Convention and has now declared that all tickets of the party, from the Presidency to the House of Assemblies, are open to all qualified Nigerians.”
The NEC also condemned a purported stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia, Abia State, which led to the dissolution of various party structures and the establishment of a Caretaker Committee. The NEC argued that the meeting, convened by Abia State Governor Alex Otti, violated the Labour Party Constitution, specifically Article 14 (4) (B), which reserves the power to call meetings for the National Secretary with the approval of the National Chairman.
Furthermore, the NEC emphasized that Governor Otti lacked the authority even to call a Ward Executive meeting without the consent of his Ward Chairman. The meeting, they asserted, also breached Section 82 of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires at least 21 days’ notice for such gatherings.
The Labour Party NEC reiterated its stance that there is no vacancy in the party’s leadership. It declared that the national convention held in Nnewi was legitimate, and the tenure of the elected National Working Committee members remains valid, as upheld by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The party called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to refrain from endorsing any claim that Julius Abure’s tenure had expired. The NEC meeting was attended by members of the National Working Committee, state chairpersons, secretaries, and other stakeholders. The resolutions were signed and released by the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, and the Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim.
