•Julius Abure
Labour Party (LP) and Nigerian workers under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), have called on the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to arrest the party’s former National Chairman, Julius Abure, over alleged unlawful entry into the political grouping’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The Interim National Chairman, Esther Nenadi Usman, and Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Benson Upah, made the call yesterday while addressing journalists at the LP secretariat.
Usman claimed that Abure unlawfully entered the secretariat on Tuesday night and carted away official party documents, describing the action as criminal and shameful, reports The Guardian.
But the Abure’s camp denied any attack on the secretariat and instead accused the Usman-led National Caretaker Committee of burglary.
Usman stressed that documents belonging to any institution must remain in the office to preserve institutional memory and continuity.
According to her, the matter has been reported to security agencies, expressing confidence that appropriate action will be taken.
She added that the party remained open to working with all stakeholders genuinely interested in rebuilding the LP, but insisted that no individual had the right to unlawfully access party facilities or remove official records after leaving office.
The ex-minister noted that the LP’s strength lies in its grassroots base of workers, traders, and market men and women, working in collaboration with the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Reacting on behalf of the NLC, Upah described the alleged action as disgraceful, criminal, and contemptuous of court decisions amid the ongoing leadership dispute.
“When you break into a facility without authorisation, you do not need to be a police officer to know that it is a serious crime,” he said.
The scribe recalled past allegations made against labour leaders, noting that the development reflects a consistent pattern of conduct.
The political party has been embroiled in a prolonged leadership crisis, with both Usman and Abure claiming the leadership.
In January 2026, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court recognised the Senator Usman-led executive as the legitimate leadership of the party.
But the Deputy National Youth Leader of the Abure faction, Dr Barry Johnson, has criticised recent court decisions affecting the party, describing the judiciary as being in “disarray” and questioning the direction of Nigeria’s democracy.
Johnson made the remarks during a live programme, where he responded to concerns about LP’s internal divisions following its historic performance in the 2023 general elections.
He insisted that the Abure-led group remains the party’s legitimate leadership.
According to him, the faction he represents is recognised by the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act, and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He alleged that some court rulings regarding the party had undermined the party’s internal structures.
Johnson further questioned whether the current political climate reflects the kind of democracy Nigerians intend to pass on to the next generation, warning against what he characterised as a system marked by “criminality” and undue judicial support.
