Labour Party Crisis Deepens as Callistus Okafor Claims National Chairmanship

The crisis within the Labour Party (LP) has taken a new twist as former Deputy National Chairman, Callistus Okafor, has laid claim to the party’s National Chairmanship position.

Okafor, during a news conference in Abuja on Friday, stated that his decision to “take over” the party was supported by a 2018 consent judgment of the federal high court, which he claimed had been ignored.

He highlighted a past leadership tussle between the late national chairman, Abdulkadir Salam, and another faction led by Salisu Mohammed, who also declared himself the national caretaker chair of the party.

The judge handling the dispute, Gabriel Kolawole, in the consent verdict, held that the separate national conventions held by both parties to the dispute were “inconclusive.”

Okafor argued that since the court ruling was not obeyed, Julius Abure inherited and built on this faulty structure to become the national chairman.

According to him, he and other members of the then National Working Committee are the rightful beneficiaries of the 2018 judgment.

“The owner of the house has taken the house. When I mean owner, I am not contesting Labour Party leadership with NLC, no,” Okafor stated. “I’m talking about the process. The midwife of this process (fresh convention).

The 2014 convention is the right avenue to midwife it. For that reason, Callistus Okafor is now the acting chairman of the Labour Party.”

He added that members of the 2014 National Working Committee, who are beneficiaries of the consent judgment, have agreed to organize an all-inclusive and expansive convention within six months.

This convention aims to reconcile all aggrieved members and groups to achieve a united and focused Labour Party that will redefine political leadership in Nigeria.

“The intervention is a pivotal resolution of the long-drawn legal battle for the soul of the Labour Party,” Okafor noted.

However, the National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, dismissed Okafor’s claims.

He said, “We don’t need to look any further than those who have sworn to destroy our party in their calculations for 2027.

Julius Abure is the legitimate National Chairman of our great party.

There are several court judgements that support this position. We will not reduce ourselves to relying on those who have been hired to distract us.”