The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has strongly condemned attempts by some party members to create parallel structures, warning that such actions would have serious consequences.
Speaking at a town hall meeting organized by the Lagos State chapter of the party, Abure emphasized that the Labour Party has only one legitimate structure, and any attempt to establish a rival faction would ultimately fail.
“A party cannot have two conflicting structures, it can only have one. I advise those who want to be part of the system to align with the main structure. Those who are creating parallel structures and candidate-driven factions will lose out in the end,” Abure stated.
He also addressed concerns about financial contributions from elected Labour Party members, noting that since their assumption of office nearly two years ago, they had failed to fulfill their financial obligations to the party.
“It is a fact that they don’t respect the party and don’t make contributions. As I speak, we have not received a single kobo at the national level from those we elected to the National Assembly,” he lamented.
Abure highlighted that despite having six Senators, about 30 House of Representatives members, and several state legislators, none of them had financially supported the party.
“In other parties, elected officials fund the party. Today, many of them want control over their local government areas and constituencies, yet they are not ready to work with the party. Is this fair?” he questioned.
In a bid to strengthen the party, Abure urged members of the Obidient movement to register with the Labour Party ahead of the upcoming congresses in June and July 2025.
“We are willing and ready to welcome all Obidients into the Labour Party. Just go to your ward and register,” he advised.
He also addressed internal grievances within the Lagos State chapter, calling for unity and a focus on the future rather than past disputes.
“I appeal to our members in Lagos who have grievances from the 2023 general elections to move forward. Those who missed out on party tickets in 2023 may have an opportunity in 2027. If you have a special case, bring it to the party leadership instead of fighting on social media. As long as I remain National Chairman, those with genuine cases will be considered in 2027,” he assured.
The town hall meeting also saw the defection of prominent political figures to the Labour Party, party stakeholders, including national and state lawmakers, executives at various levels, and members of the National Working Committee, were present.
The Labour Party’s 2023 governorship candidate in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, also attended.
