Julius Abure, the embattled factional chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has described his recent meeting with Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as a personal encounter wrongly politicised by party rivals and critics.
Speaking on Monday at the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, Abure seized the moment not only to clarify the controversial visit, but also to reassert his claim as the party’s national leader.
“Last week, I met with the FCT minister, and it attracted a lot of comments, a lot of misconceptions, and a lot of talk about the photographic events,” Abure said.
“It was purely a private meeting. I live in the FCT. I have the right to interact with any public official.
”The meeting, which came under scrutiny after photos surfaced online, fueled speculations of a backroom deal with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
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Wike, a top figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but currently serving in President Bola Tinubu’s APC-led cabinet, has long been accused by opposition figures of stoking internal tensions in rival parties.
But Abure, brushing aside what he called “misconceptions,” turned the backlash into an opportunity to affirm his control over the party’s national structure.
“We have paid our dues,” he said. “By the grace of God, the Labour Party has become one of the biggest political parties in Nigeria under my watch.”
His comments come at a time of serious identity crisis for the Labour Party. With Peter Obi now part of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)-led opposition coalition—despite claiming to still be an LP member—the party faces a leadership standoff between Abure and a rival faction led by former finance minister Nenadi Usman.
The Abure-led camp recently called for Obi’s resignation from the party, citing his alignment with the ADC as incompatible with LP’s direction. Meanwhile, the Nenadi faction welcomed Obi’s coalition moves, deepening confusion over who truly speaks for the Labour Party.
