Abia State Governor Alex Otti has urged members of the Labour Party (LP) to unite and prioritize the party’s success amid an ongoing leadership dispute. Speaking at the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Friday, July 18, 2025, Otti emphasized the need for humility and adherence to a recent Supreme Court ruling that affirmed Senator Nenadi Usman as the LP National Chairman.

The NEC meeting, attended by key figures including the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, followed the Supreme Court’s April 2025 judgment, which declared that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction to pronounce Julius Abure as LP National Chairman. The apex court ruled that leadership matters are internal party affairs and noted that Abure’s tenure had expired, dismissing his faction’s cross-appeal while upholding Nenadi’s appeal.

Otti, the LP’s only governor, called for compliance with the court’s decision. “As law-abiding people, we should obey the Supreme Court judgment. We are here to formalize key committees, like the interim National Working Committee, to oversee party activities until the convention when a new NEC will be elected,” he said. He also acknowledged the NLC’s role in founding the LP, stating, “Now the party is bigger than the NLC,” and urged members to work humbly for the party’s greater good. “We cannot be bigger than the party,” he added.

NLC President Joe Ajaero described the LP as a party for the common man and reaffirmed the NLC’s commitment to its success. “Anyone claiming to be party chairman without working with the labour force is a daydreamer. When the day of reckoning comes, we will say we don’t know you,” he said, urging members to remain focused. “The council that formed the party is with you. We must restructure and rebrand this party to make it work.”

The LP has been embroiled in a leadership tussle between Abure’s faction and Nenadi’s Caretaker Committee, backed by Otti, 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and other party officials. The NEC meeting marks a critical step toward resolving the crisis and repositioning the party for future elections, including the 2027 general elections.