‘LP crisis will not affect chances in Edo, 2027 elections’

This is Abure’s first term as chairman, he only completed the tenure of the late national chairman, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam. A Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed and validated the convention’s outcome, declaring Abure as the national chairman of LP. INEC’s portal still recognises Abure as the national chairman. Therefore, any meeting called by Peter Obi and others without the authority of the national chairman or secretary is unconstitutional.
Peter Obi is an ordinary member of LP and remains the former presidential candidate. He does not have the capacity to lead the party according to the constitution. The national chairman, Barrister Abure, is the leader of the party. Any actions taken by Obi and others are unconstitutional and criminal. We call on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to take action, because LP is a registered entity under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and must be protected by litigation, prosecution, and election. In my opinion, Peter Obi should be arrested and prosecuted for violating the Constitution of Nigeria.

There are insinuations from some quarters that INEC does not recognise Abure as the party’s chairman?
Any claim that INEC does not recognise Julius Abure as the national chairman is false. If INEC did not recognise Abure, he would not have been able to submit the name of Ondo State governorship candidate, Olufemi Ayodele, who was nominated by him and is currently contesting the election. This is evident on INEC’s portal, where Abure’s name is listed as the one who submitted the nomination.

The constitution of the party grants Abure the authority to operate as chairman because he followed the rule of law by notifying INEC 21 days before the convention, as required. After the convention, results were announced, INEC received a report on the convention activities that produced Abure, and his name remains on INEC’s portal as the national chairman of the party.

The Electoral Act also empowers LP to send a letter of notification, which was done in December, even when there were changes in dates, venue, and time. The letter was sent to INEC, and this fulfills the requirements of the Electoral Act. The Act does not require INEC to attend the convention; rather, it requires notification, which was done. The validation of Abure’s election as national chairman is not dependent on INEC’s attendance.

So, it is obvious that LP is in crisis?
I don’t think so. The reason is that there’s a court judgment affirming Abure as the national chairman. If someone else claims to be the chairman with his or her own National Working Committee (NWC) and office, that’s when you can say there’s a crisis. But what we are seeing is not a crisis, but rather a display of criminality. Law enforcement agencies should take action and arrest those involved, as they are violating the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Abure remains the legitimate national chairman, and anyone claiming to lead a caretaker committee is doing so illegally, as the party’s constitution does not provide for such a thing. We call on the security agencies to take action, invite them for questioning, prosecute them, and charge them to court. The Labour Party is a registered institution with INEC, and its leaders are entitled to security protection.

Why should Peter Obi and Otti not be arrested? Otti has immunity as a sitting governor, but Peter Obi, as a former presidential candidate, should be invited, prosecuted, and charged to court for violating the Constitution. This is a crime against Nigeria’s political stability.

Electoral Act also empowers LP to send a letter of notification, which was done in December, even when there were changes in dates, venue, and time. The letter was sent to INEC, fulfilling the requirements of the Electoral Act. Note that the Act does not require INEC to attend the convention; rather, it requires notification, which was done. The validation of Abure’s election as national chairman is not dependent on INEC’s attendance.

How do you react to the involvement of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the affairs of LP?
I believe that NLC is a political jobber and a vote-selling machinery under its chairman, Joe Ajaero. They will not succeed in using LP for their purposes. Since Abure became the national chairman, LP has ceased to be a transactional political entity. Everyone, including those from the NLC, has been fighting Abure. Check their track record; they have nothing to show for their leadership.What has the NLC achieved since Ajaero became president? Can you mention one single accomplishment or credit to his name? The NLC is a failed entity under Ajaero’s leadership. He is confused and lacks direction.

What is the way forward going by your claim that Abure remains the national chairman by law and court judgement?
A political party is free for anyone to join or leave, including Peter Obi and Alex Otti. If they don’t want Abure, they should leave the party. No one person can monopolise a party’s success. The support Peter Obi got as a presidential candidate in 2023 came from LP platform.

The opposition’s hand in this matter is clear, and we see Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) playing a role in bringing down LP to make Peter Obi run under their platform. However, they will ultimately play Peter Obi down, and he will become a political destitute by 2027, if he doesn’t retrace his steps and repent. This is a prophetic political prediction that will come to pass.

So, you don’t foresee a merger between LP, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and PDP ahead of 2027?
Well, I believe that 2027 presidential election will be a significant one. Mark my words, LP presidential candidate will become the president of Nigeria. LP will not merge with any other party. Instead, we will be forming partnerships. We invite all political parties, including PDP, All Progressives Congress (APC), NNPP, and others, to partner with us and run under the umbrella of People’s Party. Note that it’s no longer just the LP, but People’s Party, which represents good governance, quality leadership, and respect for the rule of law.

Given the accusations of financial misappropriation against Abure, don’t you think he should step aside?
Let me tell you something about Abure, since I became involved in Nigerian politics, I’ve never seen a more pragmatic politician who adheres to the rules of the political game than him. He strictly follows the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act. If the constitution says yes, he says yes; if it says no, he says no.

As for the allegations of financial misappropriation, it’s common in Nigerian politics for leaders to face such accusations. However, rumours and unsubstantiated claims don’t hold water. If someone has evidence that Abure misappropriated funds, they should come forward and prove it. If you’ve paid Abure money or he’s taken your money, speak up. But since no one has come forward, it’s clear that the accusations are baseless attempts to tarnish his reputation. Fortunately, Nigerians have rejected these attempts to discredit him.

With what is happening in your party, do you see LP winning Edo State governorship election holding on September 21?
I think it is time for LP to show itself again in the movement of winning elections in Edo State. If we work very well, I think we are going to give PDP a run for its money in the state. If we come out as we did in 2023, definitely, we will win this election. Our governorship candidate, Olumide Akpata has all it takes to win the election .

However, the Obidient movement that thinks that they have a team and does not want to see it from the other side should have a rethink. The word Obidient does not belong to one person, everybody who is a respecter of the rule of law is an obedient member. We have them in PDP and other parties, even some of them don’t belong to any political party. Obedient movement is not about being on X formerly known as Twitter.

As a youth leader in one of the opposition parties, if you meet President Bola Tinubu now, how will you advise him on the state of the economy and suffering Nigerians are passing through?
As a youth leader in the strongest opposition party in Africa, I would tell the president to revert to what he saw when he took over power in 2023. It’s a basic analysis for us to understand that this government needs to listen to the people.

This government appointed people who are not qualified, people who do not have the capacity to be in governance. Most of them were given positions as compensation for their roles during the election. Show me one ministry that is performing well in this administration. Basically, we urge the president to think outside the box, see how he can make the Nigerian economy not to rely only on oil. Until Nigeria runs a non-oil economy, the country will continue to experience looting, stealing, and poverty.

We need to stop the recklessness in government. Tinubu’s administration must act fast. His government is spending too much on what we don’t need. What do we need a yacht or private jet for? These are unnecessary luxuries at a time when the economy isn’t working. The economy is in a coma, and the current government is confused about what to do. Tinubu needs to listen to the people and understand that a government of national unity is the key that will put the economy back on track.

He should engage the expertise and services of even opposition parties if that’s what will move the country forward. Let’s see more young people in government, and anyone who doesn’t perform should be sacked immediately and replaced with competent people.