Beware of Obi, his supporters — Abure advises Dickson to learn from LP crisis
Abure Cautions Dickson on Alliance with Obi
Julius Abure, the factional national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has urged Senator Seriake Dickson, the national leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), to proceed with caution in his collaboration with Peter Obi and his supporters. Abure warned that the NDC could encounter difficulties akin to those faced by the LP following the 2023 general election.
In a statement released on Monday, Abure’s warning coincided with Obi’s selection as the NDC presidential candidate, which was ratified during the party’s national convention held in Abuja on May 30.
Abure remarked that Dickson appears to have learned from the internal conflicts that plagued the Labour Party, commending the NDC leader’s choice not to relinquish all elective positions to supporters of Obi.
“They say history usually repeats itself. Senator Dickson and others have experienced a trajectory that illustrates this, having seen how several politicians, once elected, struggled with party leadership,” Abure stated.
He characterized Obi and his supporters as ungrateful, expressing concern over the potential risks of fully entrusting elective positions within the NDC to them.
Abure alleged that many politicians who won office on the LP platform in 2023, including Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, subsequently turned against the party’s leadership.
He noted that the LP had accommodated Obi’s interests prior to the elections by providing numerous tickets to his supporters, often at no cost. “We ensured that Obi’s interests were adequately taken care of, even granting several tickets based on his body language,” he said.
The former LP chairman also highlighted the challenges the party encountered after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) responded to a court ruling declaring the tenure of the party’s executives had lapsed, resulting in the establishment of an interim national committee led by Nenadi Usman.
Abure claimed that the LP’s leaders were misled by INEC regarding their executive’s tenure, suggesting they should have rejected the commission’s assertion.
He advised Dickson to appoint loyalists to vital positions within the NDC to protect the party’s leadership framework. “He needs to ensure that his own people are placed strategically, so there are those who can advocate and defend him when necessary,” he noted.
Abure accused Obi’s supporters of joining the NDC with the intent to take control of its structure. “They entered the NDC with plans to dominate, similar to what occurred in the Labour Party. No political leader witnessing what happened in the LP will make that mistake again,” he concluded.
