“Obey Supreme Court ruling or step aside” – Gov Otti warns Abure

Governor Alex Otti of Abia has called on Julius Abure to respect the Supreme Court’s judgment on the leadership of the Labour Party (LP), warning that anything short of obedience to the verdict would be unacceptable.

Otti gave the warning on Friday during the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

The meeting was convened in the wake of the Supreme Court’s judgment, which upheld Senator Usman Nenadi as the authentic national chairman of the party.

He said: “As law-abiding people, we felt we should obey the Supreme Court judgment.

“What we are here to do is to begin a structured process by formalising some key committees like the interim national working committee, which will oversee all party activities till the party’s convention when elections for a new NEC will be conducted.”

He advised the Abure-led faction to “be humble enough” to comply with the ruling of the apex court.

Otti, the only sitting governor on the LP platform, said the party must not allow internal strife to derail its progress.

“I would like us to humble ourselves and recognise that we cannot be bigger than the party,” he said.

He also thanked the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for founding the LP, but stressed that the party has since evolved.

In his remarks, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, described the Labour Party as one built for the common man and said its original vision must not be hijacked.

He said: “Anyone that is not with us and is not working with the labour force and claims to be the party chairman is a daydreamer. When the day of reckoning comes, we will say we don’t know you.

“The council which formed the party is very much with them and we have not abandoned the party.

“I want us to be focused, not distracted. There is a need to restructure this party, rebrand it, because that is the only way this party can work.”