Three federal lawmakers under the Labour Party banner have vehemently rejected their purported suspension from the party, calling it a desperate, laughable maneuver by Julius Abure, the embattled former National Chairman, who they say is scrambling to remain politically relevant following his removal by the Supreme Court.
In a joint statement released on Thursday, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, Leader of the Labour Party Caucus in the House of Representatives; Deputy Leader, Hon. Seyi Sowunmi; and Hon. Amobi Ogah, described their suspension as baseless and without constitutional merit. The trio alleged that Abure, rather than seeking reconciliation and restructuring after his leadership was voided by the apex court, has instead chosen a path of chaos and internal discord.
“Julius Abure’s recent actions amount to a desperate overreach by someone unwilling to accept the reality of his ouster,” they said. “The so-called suspension is a theatrical display of political irrelevance—one that seeks to mask years of electoral underperformance and internal party decay.”
The lawmakers also dismissed Abure’s earlier announcements suspending prominent party members including Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Senator Ireti Kingibe, and Senator Darlington Nwokocha, who currently serves as Secretary of the National Caretaker Committee. They argued that such pronouncements hold no legal or moral standing, noting that Abure ceased to be the party’s chairman following the court verdict and thus lacks any authority to issue such decisions.
Highlighting what they termed “serial failures” under Abure’s tenure, the lawmakers pointed to the Labour Party’s dismal performances in Kogi, Bayelsa, Ondo, and Abure’s own Edo State. They also accused him of financial misconduct, claiming he ran the party “like a criminal enterprise,” fleecing aspirants in exchange for party tickets.
“For a man who should be reflecting on his failures, Abure continues to chase shadows and throw the party deeper into crisis. The Labour Party should be a beacon of democratic ideals, not a platform for political vendettas,” the statement read.
As of press time, the Labour Party has not issued any official response to the lawmakers’ allegations.