Julius Abure, the factional national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has publicly challenged Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti to name party officials who allegedly received funds during the 2023 general election.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Utako, Abuja, on Monday, Abure accused some elected LP officials of plotting to oust the national leadership despite the sacrifices made by the party’s executives.
The meeting was convened by Joshua Chinedu Obika, who represents the AMAC/Bwari federal constituency of Abuja in the House of Representatives. Abure expressed frustration over what he described as attempts by some within the party to smear the leadership’s integrity, claiming the national executive rejected monetary inducements offered in exchange for political favours.
“We rejected billions of naira. We rejected offers because of their positions. Today, they are in the forefront of those who want to throw us out of office,” Abure stated.
“I want to challenge all of them. I was watching television, and I saw some of them talking about corruption. Today, I want to challenge all of them, from Peter Obi downward, that contested the election. Let any of them come out and tell the world what they personally gave to me or to the party.
“It is not to go and hide and be saying there is corruption in the party. Who and who are those that brought the money? Who did they give it to? Where did they send it to? I challenge them today that any of them that has evidence, even if they don’t have evidence, let them be bold and come out and say when and how they gave the money and if they can’t do that, let them forever hold their peace.”
Abure said he had previously refrained from speaking out in hopes of reconciliation but warned that he is prepared to go public with revelations if provoked further.
“I’m going to call a world press conference and publicly challenge them. As a leader, we have been quiet to say probably they are making mistakes, one day, probably they will come back.
“When people were talking about agents, and money for agents, I kept quiet, I didn’t say anything because I believe that the bad, the good and the ugly are for me. And therefore, I should not throw away the bad child or the ugly child.
“When I saw that some people were going beyond their boundaries, I came out and released a periphery of what played out. And I am sure that by now, that house is no longer together as it is.
“I am waiting for them — from top to bottom — to make any other move and I will open my mouth. And when I open my mouth, wherever they go to, they will be like smelly eggs, rotten eggs that nobody will ever buy.”
The Labour Party has been embroiled in a protracted leadership crisis, with Abure’s faction facing off against a caretaker committee led by Nenadi Usman. The committee is supported by key figures including Obi, Otti, and Ireti Kingibe, the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory.
In April, the Supreme Court ruled that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction to declare Abure as chairman, a verdict that has since led to conflicting interpretations by rival factions. On May 7, Abure’s faction suspended Otti and Kingibe over alleged anti-party activities. In response, the caretaker committee suspended Abure and established a panel chaired by Kingibe to investigate him over allegations of corruption and misappropriation of party funds.
Otti has also called on Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to arrest Abure for alleged impersonation.