Abure Taunts Otti-Led LP Faction Over Infighting

The crisis within the Labour Party (LP) deepened this week following fresh accusations of neglect and sabotage from Prince Tony Akeni, the factional National Publicity Secretary loyal to Peter Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.

In a leaked memo dated October 9, 2025, Akeni, who was on the verge of resignation, expressed frustration over what he described as “intolerable working conditions” and “policy sabotage” within the interim National Working Committee (iNWC) led by Senator Nenadi Usman. The committee, inaugurated in Umuahia on September 4, 2024, had been mandated to conduct nationwide congresses and a national convention within 90 days.

More than a year later, Akeni lamented that no meaningful progress had been made. “Membership registration and revalidation, which are compulsory antes to the congresses and convention, are not close to commencement, much less conclusion,” he wrote.

He also criticised what he termed the “zero budget policy” of the iNWC, alleging that he had been forced to finance his official duties personally since relocating to Abuja in August. “I have been carrying out all assignments of the office from hotel accommodation without a penny from the Labour Party or its stakeholders except a single N10,000 token for data,” he complained.

Akeni further accused unnamed officials within the faction of being “Trojan agents” bent on sabotaging the party’s progress ahead of the 2027 general elections. He questioned why the Usman-led committee had yet to be recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), despite repeated assurances. “Why is it that months after our inauguration, our council is still not recognised by INEC while the new ADC coalition has achieved the same effortlessly?” he asked, urging party elders to act swiftly to prevent “external forces” from weakening the party again.

In response, the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party dismissed Akeni’s allegations and mocked the Usman-led committee, describing it as “non-existent and illegal.” The Abure faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, insisted that the interim leadership had no legitimacy within the party’s structure. “These people are impostors. They are not known to Labour Party. Anything ‘interim’ is not in the party’s constitution,” Ifoh told *The PUNCH*.

He added that the faction’s members “went about creating offices for themselves and occupying positions up to national chairman,” urging the public to verify their claims with INEC. Ifoh accused the media of “encouraging impostors” and said the recognised LP leadership remained focused on preparations for the 2027 elections.

Efforts to reach Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti for comment were unsuccessful, while Dr Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, declined to speak on the matter, saying only, “We will react to it later.”