Julius Abure, the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has cautioned Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) leader Seriake Dickson against giving Peter Obi and his supporters excessive control within the party, warning that such a move could trigger internal power struggles.
Abure made the remarks in a statement issued on Monday, following Obi’s emergence as the NDC’s presidential candidate ahead of the next general election. Obi secured the party’s ticket after being ratified at the NDC national convention held in Abuja on May 30.
The LP chairman said Dickson appeared to have drawn lessons from the prolonged leadership crisis that engulfed the Labour Party after the 2023 elections. He praised what he described as Dickson’s reluctance to surrender all elective positions within the NDC to Obi’s supporters.
According to Abure, several politicians who won elections on the Labour Party platform alongside Obi in 2023 later turned against the party’s leadership instead of supporting its growth and stability.
“They say history usually repeats itself. Senator Dickson and his team have seen what happened to us and learned from it,” Abure said. “Many of those who won elections under the Labour Party later found themselves in government and began fighting the leadership of the party.”
He alleged that Obi, Abia State Governor Alex Otti and many of their supporters failed to appreciate the sacrifices made by the Labour Party during the 2023 election cycle. Abure claimed it would be risky for the NDC leadership to hand over complete control of party structures to Obi’s political camp.
The factional chairman also revisited the Labour Party’s internal dispute, blaming part of the crisis on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the controversy surrounding the tenure of the party’s national executives. He argued that the situation eventually led to the emergence of the Nenadi Usman-led interim national committee.
Abure further advised Dickson to ensure that trusted loyalists occupy key positions within the NDC, saying it was important for party founders and leaders to maintain influence and support within their organisations.
He accused Obi’s supporters of attempting to dominate party structures, alleging that a similar pattern played out in the Labour Party after Obi joined the platform ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
“They trooped into the NDC with Obi hoping to occupy every space like they did in the Labour Party,” Abure said. “No political party leader who witnessed what happened in the Labour Party would willingly repeat that mistake.”
The LP chairman also claimed that the party made major concessions to accommodate Obi and his allies before the 2023 elections, including offering several electoral tickets to supporters without charging them.
According to him, the party expected elected officials to contribute to its development after winning office but was disappointed when many allegedly distanced themselves from the leadership and the organisation that provided the platform for their political success.
Abure concluded by urging the NDC leadership to study the Labour Party’s experience carefully, warning that internal unity and balanced power-sharing remain critical to avoiding future crises.
