By Suleiman Anyalewechi
“Since Otti’s election, he has added no value to the Party, and has made no impact generally”
The national leadership of the Labour Party has expressed serious concern and regrets over some disparaging remarks allegedly made against its factional National Chairman, Julius Abure and his ofice by Abia state Governor, Dr Alex Otti.
This is just as it accused the Governor of not adding any value to and or made any significant impact on the party since being elected as its only Governor.
The Source reports that the Abia State Governor in reaction to his purported suspension, alongside others by the Abure-led National Working Committee NWC, last week dismissed Abure as a “clown desperately in search of a crown”
He had, also, called on the Police and other Security Agencies to arrest Abure and his cohorts for alleged impersonation.
According to Governor Otti, Abure, having been explicitly sacked by the Supreme Court judgment of April 4,2025 should no longer be parading himself as the LP National Chairman.
Governor Otti, Peter Obi, LP’s Presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, his running mate, Senator Datti Ahmed, National Assembly caucus of the party and other major stakeholders are backing the Senator Easter Namadi Usman-led Interim Leadership of the Party.
But in a statement on Monday May 12, 2025, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Abure’s factional National Secretary, described Otti’s comments as deeply regrettable and a direct threat to the leadership of the party, and democratic values.
“While we would have normally ignored such attacks, especially from individuals undergoing internal disciplinary processes, the persistent threats from Governor Otti and his allies have compelled us to call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and concerned Nigerians to intervene and restrain him.
“It is both ironic and unfortunate that Governor Otti, who joined the Labour Party in 2022 after being rejected by other platforms is now attacking the very leadership that facilitated his electoral victory”, the party stated.
According to the National Secretary, Governor Otti, had, some time last year, equally ordered for the arrest of the Abia State Chairman of the Party, Dr Prince Ndubueze, and Ceekay Igara ,the South East Vice Chairman .
The party also recalled that in April 2025, same Governor Otti issued “doomsday threats” during a meeting with aggrieved party members in Abuja
The Party, therefore, expressed serious worries that the same Governor Otti has now resorted to issuing same threats to its National Chairman, and other NWC members owing to his suspension.
It called on the President and other relevant authorities to rein in the Governor, noting that his incessant threats represents a dangerous trend that must not be allowed to fester.
The National Secretary explained that the party in 2023 granted Governor Otti a waiver to become its Abia governorship candidate at a time he was schemed out by other parties.
He, therefore, expressed regrets that, such a huge beneficiary of the large heartedness of the party could turn around to be its undertaker.
He accused the Governor of being on a mission to kill the LP before finally defecting to his preferred party ahead of the 2027 general election.
The party expressed shock and disbelief that Governor Otti could condescend that low and describe Abure as “clown in search of a crown.”
He, however, insisted that the National Chairman was already wearing the crown before Governor Otti and group joined the party.
“We have repeatedly said that Governor Otti is on a mission to stifle life out of the Labour Party ahead of 2027 general elections before making way to his already known destination.
“If not, why would a Governor who has absolute cooperation of the leadership of his party at the centre, a Governor who had publicly told the world that God used Abure to make him the Governor, suddenly vacillate and somersaulted and by so doing unleashed an unnecessary crisis on his own party, where he once called the shots”, the statement further reads.
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