A Labour Party (LP) chieftain, Callistus Okafor, has expressed his claim to the position of national chairman of the party, asserting that Julius Abure, who currently holds the role, manipulated the process to emerge as the party’s leader without adhering to the constitution.
Okafor explained that at the time of Abure’s rise to chairman, he was serving as the Deputy National Chairman, while Abure was only the acting National Secretary. He believes the proper procedure was bypassed, leading to a flawed leadership foundation.
“The current crisis in the Labour Party stems from this faulty foundation,” Okafor said, stating that the failure to follow the constitution has resulted in ongoing internal strife. He elaborated that the problem started at a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Edo State, where Abure, as an acting national secretary, was selected to become the national chairman— a move Okafor insists was unconstitutional.
Constitutional Violations
Okafor explained that, according to the Labour Party’s constitution, in the absence of a national chairman, the deputy should take over. Since he was the Deputy National Chairman, he believes he should have been the rightful successor. The party has two deputy national chairmen, representing the North and South. If one is unavailable, the other assumes the role. Okafor argues that this constitutional provision was ignored when Abure, an acting national secretary, was appointed instead.
“Those who drafted the constitution ensured a solid structure, with six national vice-chairmen from each geopolitical zone, making it impossible for the deputies to be absent simultaneously. However, in Edo, a wrongful process led to the emergence of an unrecognized national chairman,” Okafor said.
Appointments Over Elections
Okafor also accused Abure of leading the Labour Party with executives who were appointed rather than elected, claiming that only three members of Abure’s leadership team were constitutionally elected, while the rest were personally selected by him. He criticized this practice, saying, “Labour Party is not a town hall or village meeting where leaders can simply appoint people into roles without elections. A political party must follow its constitution.”
He further objected to the appointment of Nenadi Usman as the caretaker chairman, arguing that the party should have followed proper procedures.
Consent Judgment
Okafor referred to a 2018 consent judgment delivered by Justice Kolawole, which he claims has been ignored and not overturned. According to him, the judgment recognized his position as Deputy National Chairman at the time, making him the legitimate heir to the chairmanship after the tenure of the previous leader ended.
“Until that judgment is set aside, it remains valid, and Abure cannot claim that his tenure has expired without respecting the decision of the court,” Okafor concluded.