By Abiola Olawale
In a dramatic turn of events, Barrister Julius Abure, the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has called on Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti to immediately resign from the LP and join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has recently aligned himself.
This demand comes amid escalating tensions within the LP, as Abure accused Otti of disloyalty and aligning with political forces outside the party’s fold.
In a statement released on Friday, July 4, 2025, through the LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, Abure criticized Otti for allegedly maintaining what he called a facade of loyalty to the Labour Party while his associates have defected to the ADC-led coalition.
The statement reads in part: “Our attention has been drawn to Otti’s interview where he said that he is still a member of the Labour Party. We are not going to fall for his deception again. How can he be in the Labour Party when recently he conducted the local government election in Abia State with Zenith Labour Party as his party?
“He should not think that every Nigerian is bereft of knowledge. He formed and is funding the illegal caretaker committee that had formally joined the ADC. The icing on the cake was the Wednesday unveiling of the coalition where every member of the caretaker committee formally joined the ADC.
“We are shocked that Otti is paradoxically trying to mislead members of the Labour Party to say that he is still a member of the Labour Party. In any event, we had earlier suspended him indefinitely from the party because of his anti-party activities.
“Labour Party is on the move again. We have the best brand in Nigeria, and we are eager to engage young Nigerians who have the interest of the nation at heart.
“We are therefore willing to let go of everyone, no matter how high, whose interest in Nigeria is self-driven, opportunistic politicians who are not principled.”
Abure’s remarks follow Otti’s recent public declaration that he remains a committed member of the LP, despite speculations about his involvement in the opposition coalition.
The Abia governor, the only LP-elected governor in Nigeria, distanced himself from the ADC coalition during an interactive session in Umuahia, stating that he had neither been invited to nor attended any coalition meetings.
However, Abure dismissed these claims as deceptive, alleging that Otti is using the Zenith Labour Party for local government elections in Abia as evidence of divided loyalties.
The New Diplomat also reports that ADC has emerged as the chosen platform for a formidable opposition coalition aiming to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
On July 2, 2025, prominent opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark, and former governors like Rotimi Amaechi and Nasir El-Rufai, unveiled the ADC as their vehicle to unseat Tinubu.
The coalition appointed David Mark as interim National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as interim National Secretary.
