Factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has launched a scathing attack on Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, accusing him of promoting political impunity and undermining the integrity of the party that brought him to power.

Reacting to Otti’s controversial “masturbation” comment aimed at the party leadership, Abure described the remark as both disgraceful and unprovoked, saying it was unbecoming of someone who should be the face of unity in the Labour Party.

Governor Otti had dismissed claims by Julius Abure to the national chairmanship of the Labour Party, describing his actions as a “deliberate illusion” and a disservice to the spirit of democratic leadership.

Speaking on Arise TV Morning Show on Friday morning, Otti made it clear that the party cannot be held hostage by individuals who have, in his words, “lost touch with reality and legality.”

“Abure is living in illusion,” Otti declared. “The party is bigger than any individual and must be run on principles of transparency, accountability, and respect for the rule of law. You cannot proclaim yourself leader of a structure that no longer recognizes your legitimacy.”

Reacting, Abure said, “We told Nigerians that Labour Party would be different. That we would produce leaders guided by integrity and respect for the rule of law,” Abure said at a press briefing after the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting. “But what are we seeing today? A governor who disregards the party’s constitution and behaves as though he is above the institution that made him.”

Abure condemned Otti’s approach to party administration, particularly his imposition of what he called an “illegal caretaker committee” without the consent of the National Working Committee.

He described it as a clear violation of party rules and an act of betrayal.

“As the only Labour Party governor, he should have been the rallying point. Instead, he’s acting with arrogance, sidelining the leadership that supported his emergence,” Abure said.

He also berated Otti’s handling of local government elections in Abia State, stating that they fell below democratic standards. “Those elections were worse than anything conducted by APC or PDP. It’s a shame. We campaigned for grassroots empowerment, not recycled impunity.”

Abure emphasised that no individual, no matter their office, is bigger than the Labour Party. He declared that the party is setting up disciplinary mechanisms to deal with internal saboteurs.

“We are not here to romance disorder. The reason political parties fail in Nigeria is because internal discipline is lacking. Labour Party will not follow that path,” he warned.

As he concluded, Abure assured Nigerians that the Labour Party is on a mission to restore public trust and political sanity. “We are not just fighting for ourselves. We are fighting to prove that a new Nigeria is possible.”

Governor Otti’s remarks are coming amid ongoing legal and internal battles within the Labour Party over its national leadership, following a Supreme Court judgment that upheld the validity of the party’s October 2023 national convention in Nnewi, Anambra State. The convention, backed by a significant majority of stakeholders, including members of the NWC, produced a new leadership structure, sidelining Abure.

The Abia governor reaffirmed his commitment to a reformed, people-focused Labour Party and urged party faithful to remain steadfast in the pursuit of unity and integrity.

“Our mission is to give Nigerians a viable alternative,” he said. “And we will not allow political opportunism or self-delusion to derail that mission.”