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LP crisis: Abure Adamant, rejects reconciliation move

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The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party deepened on Monday as the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee rejected reconciliation moves by Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, describing the effort as insincere and premature.

The Abure faction insisted that the legal battle over the party’s leadership was far from over and accused Otti of being responsible for the crisis now tearing the party apart.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, dismissed the reconciliation call and questioned its timing.

“We are not interested in any move by Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, to reconcile the party because he was the one who brought the crisis to the party in the first place,” Ifoh said.

“This reconciliatory thing he is throwing around is of no use. What we just witnessed was a judgment by a court of first instance. Why can’t he wait for the outcome of the appeal before deciding on such a move?

“Why is he suddenly in a rush to call for reconciliation? As far as we are concerned, their celebration is a pyrrhic victory. It will soon die down, and Nigerians will behold the true leadership of the party. Let him know that the battle is not over.”

The hardline stance by the Abure camp highlights the depth of division within the party, despite recent court rulings and the intervention of the Independent National Electoral Commission, which has recognised the Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee.

The rejection came barely hours after Otti publicly expressed regret over the exit of the party’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, describing his departure as a major setback for the Labour Party.

Otti spoke in Abuja during a meeting with members of the party’s Board of Trustees, leaders of the National Caretaker Committee and representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

The meeting followed INEC’s decision to recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee—a move earlier described by the Abure faction as hasty, prejudicial and aimed at undermining the party’s leadership.

During the meeting, Otti said the new leadership had resolved to pursue reconciliation and rebuild internal cohesion following its court victory.

“We have decided that there is a need to set up a reconciliation committee,” he said. “The interim NWC will advise us on when to do so. The idea is to reconcile everyone who desires to return.

“We appeal to Julius Abure and his team to sheathe their swords and come back to the party. If they abide by the rules of the party, we will be happy to see them back.”

Otti also said the party would not participate in the forthcoming FCT council elections and ruled out joining any external opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Labour is already a coalition—the coalition of Nigerian workers and progressive-minded people,” he said. “We have no plans to join another coalition.”

He commended INEC for complying with the judgment of the Federal High Court by replacing the Abure-led executives with the Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee on its portal.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Labour Party’s Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration, Marcel Ngogbehei, blamed Otti and Peter Obi for the protracted crisis.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Ngogbehei said Otti, as the party’s most powerful elected official, failed to convert the momentum of the 2023 elections into durable party structures.

“By sponsoring and legitimising a caretaker committee, launched conspicuously in Abia State, Otti injected executive weight into an already volatile leadership dispute,” he said.

“Caretaker committees are not neutral instruments; they are factional weapons. Predictably, this entrenched parallel authorities, multiplied court cases and accelerated the party’s legal disintegration.”

Ngogbehei also faulted Obi for refusing to intervene decisively to reconcile the warring factions.

“Obi remains the Labour Party’s most unifying symbol, yet he declined to impose moral authority or broker a compromise,” he said, adding that the former presidential candidate’s silence weakened party cohesion.

He warned that the ruling All Progressives Congress was benefiting from the internal crises of opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

Despite reconciliation overtures from the Otti camp, the firm rejection by the Abure faction suggests that the Labour Party’s leadership crisis is far from resolution, with further legal and political battles looming.

Source: Punch.

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Reps minority whip resigns from PDP

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The Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Ali Isa, on  Tuesday, resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, citing internal crisis and alleged undemocratic practices within the party.

In a resignation letter April 14, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of Kindiyo Ward in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State, Isa said his decision takes immediate effect.

He stated that his exit was “compelled by the way and manner some undemocratic forces have hijacked the party for reasons that are contrary to the founding principles and philosophy of the party, which created a factional leadership.”

The lawmaker, who represents Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency, said he took the decision after wide consultations with key stakeholders.

“After a series of rigorous consultations with my family, political associates, friends, and relevant stakeholders, I have arrived at the conclusion that the path to my political future, as well as the political future of the great people who gave me their mandate, lies outside the PDP,” he said.

Isa added that his priority remains the welfare and political future of his constituents, noting that they deserve a more viable platform.

“It is my firm belief that the people of my constituency deserve a platform on which their interests and political future will be better guaranteed,” he stated.

He, however, thanked the PDP for the opportunity to serve.

“I wish to sincerely thank the leadership and membership of the party for giving me the platform on which the people of Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency gave me the wonderful opportunity to represent them at the National Assembly. I will ever remain grateful and wish you all the best,” he added.

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Six months enough to tackle insecurity if FG is serious — Ndume

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Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has said Nigeria’s insecurity can be decisively tackled within six months if the federal government shows sufficient commitment.

Ndume made the assertion on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he expressed concern over renewed violence in the North-East.

According to the lawmaker, ending insecurity requires decisive action, improved military capacity and strong political will.

He said, “It is not about complaining. It is not about asking somebody like me, as a senator, to say why these things. I always believe that if the President and the Federal Government of Nigeria are serious about this, we can end this thing (insecurity) in six months.

“All we need is to train our soldiers, equip them, arm them very well, and then motivate them.”

Ndume also decried the continued loss of military personnel, including senior officers, describing the trend as alarming and indicative of deeper operational challenges. He added that the army is not sufficiently equipped and the morale is down.

Our correspondent  had reported that Brigadier General Oseni Braimah was killed on April 9, 2026, in a midnight attack by terrorists on the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Borno State. Also on Monday, a colonel and six soldiers were killed by Boko Haram insurgents the state.

The senator further blamed the worsening security situation on inconsistent implementation of strategies, urging authorities to match words with action.

“We have to be very serious about this matter; we have to walk the talk,” he said.

On foreign support, Ndume emphasised the need for intelligence, technology and specialised expertise rather than reliance on external forces. He noted that Nigeria lacks adequate drone capacity and called for increased deployment of technology-driven solutions, citing examples from Burkina Faso.

“We have some capable hands on the ground; all they need is equipment, ammunition and motivation. We don’t have enough drones.

“Look at what Burkina Faso is doing; it is technology. We can use it to finish or minimise this within the shortest possible time. If we deploy drones, we have our youths that are specialists and designing it.

“In Borno, if you deploy surveillance cameras, you can see everything that is happening. In these days, you can put up surveillance cameras that can go 100 metres. Once we can escalate our military assets in Borno and everywhere, that will go a long way to reduce our problem.”

Ndume also commended Babagana Zulum for his efforts in stabilising parts of Borno State, noting that the situation would have been worse without his interventions.

“If not for the efforts of Prof Babagana Zulum (the governor) in complementing the efforts of the military in the state, Borno State would have gone down,” he said.

 

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David Mark Files Suit Against INEC Over ADC Leadership

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The leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Senate President David Mark, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to overturn a decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that removed key party officials from its records.

INEC had, on April 1, deleted the names of Mark as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its official website and portal, a move that has deepened the party’s internal crisis.

In a motion filed on April 7 by his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), Mark urged Justice Emeka Nwite to grant a mandatory injunction compelling INEC to restore the names of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) members pending the determination of the substantive suit.

He also asked the court to set aside INEC’s refusal to monitor or attend the ADC’s congresses and convention, arguing that such actions undermine the party’s operations

Specifically, Mark is seeking an order directing INEC to immediately reinstate and maintain the names of himself, Aregbesola, and other members of the National Executive Committee in its official records. He further requested that the court restrain the electoral body from recognising or acting on any rival leadership claims until the case is resolved.

The application follows a March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe. Mark’s legal team argued that the appellate court had ordered all parties to maintain the “status quo ante bellum”—the last uncontested state of affairs before the dispute began.

According to Usman, as of September 2, 2025, when the suit was instituted, Mark was the duly recognised National Chairman of the party, and the leadership structure in question was already in place.

He added that the plaintiff had resigned from his previous position and no longer held any role within the ADC at the time, insisting that INEC’s actions disrupted an already established leadership order.

The court is expected to determine whether to grant the interim reliefs while the substantive case continues.

 

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