Julius Abure, a factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, has warned the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership not to give former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and his allies too much power.
In a statement released on June 8, 2026, Abure responded to allegations of disputes around the distribution of elective seats within the NDC.
Based on the Labour Party’s experience during and after the 2023 general election, the chairman of the Labour Party claimed that the NDC, led by Senator Seriake Dickson, had made the necessary choice to deny Obi’s followers all political positions.
Abure claimed that rather than aiding in the expansion of the Labour Party, a number of political office holders who had emerged on its platform ultimately turned against its leadership.
History often repeats itself, so the saying goes. Senator Dickson and associates have observed their course and have gained insight from our experience, according to Abure.
He claimed that a number of lawmakers who profited from the Labour Party’s agenda later sided with Obi and got embroiled in disagreements with the party’s leadership.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, Abure said, the leadership of the Labour Party made major concessions, including catering to the interests of Obi and a large number of his supporters.
“We merely observed his body language and gave tickets to the majority of his fans. We thought we were investing in those people, so we gave out the majority of the tickets for free,” he said.
Abure also charged that several elected officials, who had won elections on the LP platform, were supporting attempts to overthrow the party leadership.
He declared, “Obi took all those elected under the party to fight the leadership of the party.”
In order to sustain internal stability, Abure contended, political parties should maintain a balance in the allocation of posts and power among members.
“Seriake Dickson should be commended for not providing Obi supporters with all they required in the NDC. In order to have individuals who would stand up for him when things got tough, he had to bring his own people, he continued.
The chairman of the Labour Party further charged that the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, was responsible for the leadership crisis that arose within the party following the 2023 elections. He claimed that some party leaders had accepted allegations that the tenure of the party’s executives had expired.
“The leaders, especially Alex Otti and Peter Obi, decided to take over the party’s leadership,” Abure claimed.
He insisted that inquiries from the general public on the Labour Party’s handling of Obi and his followers throughout the 2022–2023 election season impacted his remarks.
