Obi, Datti, Otti Attend Factional Labour Party NEC Meeting Amid Leadership Crisis

The Labour Party (LP) convened its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, navigating a tense political atmosphere following a Supreme Court ruling that stirred controversy over the party’s national leadership.

The meeting, held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, was presided over by Senator Nenadi Usman, former Minister of Finance and Chairperson of the party’s National Caretaker Committee. Key figures in attendance included the party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, his running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti. Also present were former governorship candidates Athan Achonu of Imo State and Olumide Akpata of Edo State.

Senator Usman addressed the gathering by confirming that the party would review the recent governorship primaries in Anambra State and announce its official position. The primaries, which took place on Saturday in Awka, produced former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief George Moghalu, as the LP candidate for the November 8, 2025, Anambra governorship election.

These primaries were conducted under the leadership of the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee, whose legitimacy has since been called into question. Days after the primaries, the Supreme Court nullified an earlier Court of Appeal judgment that had recognized Abure as the party’s National Chairman. In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of the apex court ruled that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction in the matter, affirming that issues relating to party leadership are internal and beyond judicial intervention. The court also noted that Abure’s tenure had expired.