Labour Party Crisis Deepens as Nenadi Usman Labels Julius Abure an Impostor

The Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the Labour Party (LP), Senator Nenadi Usman, has described the embattled former National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, as an “impostor” who no longer holds any legitimate authority within the party.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Usman issued a stern warning to Abure, giving him a 48-hour ultimatum to cease parading himself as a leader of the Labour Party.

According to her, Abure should focus on addressing the corruption and forgery allegations against him rather than attempting to undermine the party’s current leadership.

The NCC, under Usman’s leadership, also announced the constitution of a disciplinary committee to investigate the various allegations of corruption, forgery, and abuse of office leveled against Abure during his tenure as LP national chairman. The committee, chaired by Senator Ireti Kingibe, has been given 21 days to complete its assignment and recommend appropriate sanctions.

“The Labour Party under this leadership will not tolerate continued acts of impunity. If Mr. Julius Abure persists in undermining the unity and credibility of the party, disciplinary actions will be taken against him in accordance with the party’s constitution,” Usman stated.

This development comes just days after the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) also set up its own disciplinary committee to probe Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, over alleged anti-party activities.

The back-and-forth actions by both factions highlight the intensifying leadership crisis within the Labour Party. Both sides are claiming legitimacy based on interpretations of the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025 judgment.

While the Abure-led NWC insists the apex court ruling validated Abure’s leadership, the Usman-led NCC maintains that the judgment clearly indicated that Abure’s tenure had expired, asserting that the party is now under the control of the caretaker committee.

The escalating dispute has further deepened the division within the party ahead of crucial political realignments in the build-up to the 2027 general elections.