The leadership tussle in the Labour Party took a dramatic twist on Monday after the Julius Abure-led National Executive Committee of the Labour Party announced the removal of Hon Afam Ogene as LP Caucus Leader in the House of Representatives over his involvement in anti-party activities.
The NEC also vowed to direct the disciplinary committee to sanction LP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Oti, if they go ahead with their planned stakeholders’ engagement on Wednesday, as well as other activities that may undermine the party.
The development was announced in the communique read to journalists by the Labour Party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk, at the end of a NEC meeting held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
Earlier, both Abure and Obi had simultaneously called for separate meetings of the National Executive Committee to discuss the future of the party following Friday’s judgment by the Supreme Court.
While Abure’s NEC was held at the national headquarters on Monday, Obi and Governor Alex Otti moved their stakeholders’ summit to Wednesday to a yet-to-be-named venue.
The feuding parties made the summons in separate terse statements made available to The PUNCH.
The statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of LP, 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.”
Barely an hour 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 sway the loyalty of their supporters.
The statement signed by Obi’s Spokesman, Ibrahim Umar partly read, “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 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 the House of Representatives and LP candidates in the 2023 election.”
The atmosphere outside the LP national headquarters was quite tense following the arrival of three police patrol vans and the presence of about 50 suspected miscreants milling around the precinct of the NEC meeting.
The real fireworks were to follow when, after the end of the National Executive Committee summit, Farouk announced the sack of the Reps Caucus leader.
In his place, fellow Lawnaker, Hon Ben Eternabene, was appointed as the new leader.
