Seemingly fatigued by the ongoing power struggle within the Labour Party (LP) between the faction led by Julius Abure and his own, Lamidi Apapa, the Deputy National Chairman, South, of the LP, has collapsed his faction and recognised Abure as the party’s national chairman.
Apapa’s faction has declared that the two factions have come together in unity to confront the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, as well as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Despite a series of picketing at LP secretariats nationwide and other threats by the unionists amid calls for an expansive and inclusive convention that should start from the grassroots, Abure did not budge.
The action subsequently compelled the NLC Political Commission to void the new leadership and set up a transition committee, saddled with the task of engaging stakeholders of the party and conducting a fresh convention in 90 days.
A source at the LP national secretariat, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, explained that Abure felt the urgent need to close rank with the Lamidi Apapa’s faction following the open revolt and media war from its Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi as well as the pressure from the NLC.
“It is the only logical way for him to have a united front against the threat of the NLC in particular. I believe you already know Abure has a long history with Lamidi Apapa and Abayomi Arabambi before now,” the source explained.
