The crisis within the Labour Party (LP) has taken a new turn as the faction loyal to the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the faction led by Senator Nenadi Usman to withdraw what it called a “derogatory and blackmailing” statement against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary.
The Abure-led group accused Nenadi’s camp of spreading falsehoods and attempting to discredit key national institutions following a press statement by Nenadi’s media aide, Mr. Ken Asogwa, which allegedly attacked INEC and its outgoing Acting Chairperson, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu.
The faction’s warning was contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Obiora Ifoh. He described the comments credited to Asogwa as “reckless and embarrassing,” warning that the party would take legal action if the statement was not retracted within 72 hours.
According to Ifoh, Asogwa’s statement amounted to an attempt to blackmail INEC and undermine the judiciary. He said such actions were unbecoming of a lawyer, accusing Asogwa of violating professional ethics by referring to a valid court order as “fake.”
“We think that this political zealotry and abuse of privilege was an act carried too far, hence there must be consequences for such unguarded and reckless aspersions,” Ifoh said.
He added that the Abure-led faction had instructed its legal counsel to write officially to Asogwa, demanding a public retraction of the statement within 72 hours or face a formal petition to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
“We have instructed our counsel to write to Mr. Asogwa, who is also a lawyer, to within the next 72 hours retract the highly offensive and embarrassing statement. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to petition him to the NBA for describing a validly issued order of a court as fake,” the statement read.
The Labour Party spokesperson said the Abure faction viewed Asogwa’s comments as an attack on the judiciary and an attempt to bring the court into disrepute.
“Dragging the integrity of the court into the social media space all because of politics is very unfortunate. Lawyers are meant to argue their cases in court, not online,” Ifoh said.
He added that such public comments from a lawyer amounted to a violation of professional conduct and disrespect for judicial authority.
“He is no longer worthy to be a minister in the temple of justice, and if he can denigrate His Lordship in the manner he has done, it shows he ought to face disciplinary action,” Ifoh said.
The latest clash is part of a long-running leadership crisis that has divided the Labour Party into rival factions since after the 2023 general elections. The party, which rose to prominence during the presidential campaign of Peter Obi, has been struggling with internal disputes over control, legitimacy, and finances.
Senator Nenadi Usman, a former Minister of Finance, recently emerged as leader of a rival faction, challenging the authority of Julius Abure as national chairman. The Nenadi faction had earlier accused INEC officials of colluding with Abure to manipulate party documents, and even called for the arrest of INEC’s acting chairperson, Mrs. Agbamuche-Mbu, over alleged “criminal conspiracy.”
However, the Abure camp dismissed those allegations as baseless and politically motivated, saying INEC merely recognised Abure as the authentic national chairman based on valid court rulings.
INEC itself has in recent months been drawn into the LP’s internal battles, with both factions claiming recognition from the electoral body. The commission has maintained that it only deals with party leadership recognised by court judgments and legal documentation.
As of Thursday evening, there was no official response from Senator Nenadi Usman or her media aide, Ken Asogwa, regarding the 72-hour ultimatum. However, sources within her camp hinted that they may issue a statement soon to “clarify” their position.
Meanwhile, the Abure faction has vowed to pursue the matter to its conclusion, saying it will not tolerate any further attempts to “blackmail or undermine” institutions of democracy.
“We are not only defending our party’s image but also the integrity of the judiciary and INEC, which must be protected from baseless political attacks,” Ifoh stated.
He added that the Labour Party, under Abure’s leadership, remains focused on its mission to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative and to strengthen democratic institutions rather than destroy them.
For now, all eyes are on the Nenadi faction to see whether it will comply with the 72-hour deadline or risk facing legal and disciplinary action from the rival camp.
