The embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP, Julius Abure, has appealed to all aggrieved members affected by the leadership crisis to return to the party.
This is even as he pleaded with Peter Obi, the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti and other aggrieved bigwigs to return to the party.
The LP National Chairman made the plea in an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH on Saturday, November 30.
Recall that Abure had been at loggerheads with chieftains and stakeholders of the party over the national chairmanship of the party.
Abure was who kicked against on the ground that the controversial Nnewi convention that returned him to office as National Chairman was not an all-inclusive and expansive one.
While the controversy lasted, Obi, Otti and some party stakeholders in July 2024, set up a 29-man Caretaker Committee.
The Committee, headed by a former Minister of Finance, Nnenadi Usman, was saddled with a mandate to conduct an expanded election. To produce new executives at the Ward, Local Government, State and National levels.
The move was however, rejected by the Abure-led national executives, as he headed to the court.
In its judgment, a Federal High Court Abuja reaffirmed Abure as the authentic National Chairman of LP.
And with the jostling for the 2027 general election on the front-burners, Abure has been making frantic efforts to win back the trust of the aggrieved party chieftains.
This is even as he debunked the reports that there was a crisis in the Labour Party.
He said, “I want to say there is no more crisis in the party. The court has said there is only one leader in LP. And if there is a dispute in the country or anywhere, the only place you can go for reprieve is the court. It was said that our national convention didn’t follow due process. That was why people went to court.
“INEC said we didn’t follow due process and we went to court. The court said the convention was in line with the party Constitution, Electoral Act and the Constitution of the land. INEC has since obeyed it and we are working very closely with the Commission.
“All those who feel offended should come back to the party. We have forgiven all those who perceived they had done us one thing or the other. I am not angry. We have put it behind us and LP is one big family.”
Ahead of the 2027 general election, Abure noted that Nigerians are undergoing serious hardship. Though he said the challenge could not be solely blamed on the leadership, he noted that LP would better manage the state of the nation.
The LP National Chairman, therefore, drummed support for an effective electoral reform. He noted that only that will resolve the recurring challenges associated with electing good leaders in the country.
He said, “Our country today is at a crossroads. It is a time for all of us to do a sober reflection. The problem is not just down to leadership. It also involves the followership.
“We need our mindset and philosophy for the Labour Party to drive a change. Electoral reform is a programme we must pursue to have leaders with dignity and integrity and drive developments in the country.”
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