Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has called on the sacked National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, and his faction to embrace peace following the Supreme Court’s ruling that dismissed Abure and affirmed Senator Nenadi Usman as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party.

Speaking at the weekend, Governor Otti addressed the “misleading interpretations” being circulated about the Supreme Court’s decision, which ousted the Abure-led faction of the Labour Party.

He emphasized that the party’s unity should be prioritized over individual interests.

Otti remarked, “The party (LP) is bigger and more important than any of us put together. The triumph of evil over good is for a moment. So, we thank God for yesterday. We somehow believed that justice would be done to the Labour Party.”

He also pointed out, “I was watching and saw some people making some claims about them not being removed by the Supreme Court. We can as well ignore them, but I will not ignore them.”

“want to appeal to them to give peace a chance, except if what they wanted in the first place is to destroy the party, and if they want to destroy the party, they will destroy themselves and the party will become even stronger.”

Governor Otti was speaking during the inauguration of the new leadership of the Abia Arise Organisation, his political structure in preparation for the 2027 elections.

The new leadership included Mazi Nkem Okoro as State Chairman, Mrs. Sophia Chidinma Ikpeama as Vice Chairman, and Dr. Sylvester Ibeneme as Secretary, among others.

The Governor congratulated the newly appointed officials, expressing confidence in their abilities to lead the grassroots support structure of his administration.

“The decision to appoint new leaders was to inject new blood into the organisation to continually engage the people and get feedback to promote good governance in the state,” Otti explained.

He urged the new leaders to focus on strengthening the grassroots support base and emphasized their crucial role in engaging communities, stating, “Every community matters to us. So, we have appointed you to become our eyes and ears in your various localities, working closely with other stakeholders to enable us to serve our people better.”

Governor Otti also reflected on the successes of his administration over the last 22 months, highlighting the progress made in governance.

However, he emphasized the importance of consolidating these gains, stressing the need for teamwork and unity.

He warned against infighting and internal divisions within the party to ensure the continued development of Abia State.

He further acknowledged the significant role Abia Arise played in his political journey, especially its contributions to his migration to the Labour Party and the success of the 2023 election campaign.

In response, Mazi Nkem Okoro, the newly appointed Chairman of Abia Arise, expressed deep gratitude to Governor Otti for his leadership and the positive impact it has had on the people.

He commended the Governor for selecting competent individuals to drive his vision and promised to work tirelessly to ensure the Governor’s success in the state.

Julius Abure, 

Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South, has expressed his approval of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to remove Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

Speaking to journalists in Benin on Saturday night, Imasuen, an LP senator, described the ongoing turmoil within the party after the 2023 general election as unfortunate.

He stated that the party had become a personal matter for Abure, which led to unnecessary conflict.

Imasuen emphasized that Abure’s legal battles had only caused more division, and with the Supreme Court’s ruling, the party could now find peace.

“I sincerely welcome the Supreme Court judgment that sacked Barrister Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party,” Imasuen said.

“A lot has gone on in the Labour Party after the 2023 general election, and it is very unfortunate. Abure, who was the chairman at the time, in my opinion, really didn’t have the party at heart because it had become a personal thing.”

Imasuen continued, “Abure’s actions had torn the party apart instead of preserving it. “It became something that didn’t really matter to them, and it was like, let’s fight and tear the party into pieces instead of preserving it. That sort of thing was not what I expected from someone who led the party at a time. He has been dragging the party in and out of court, and now that the Supreme Court has finally sealed it, so be it. It’s a welcome development.”

The senator acknowledged that, despite the ruling, the party’s future remains uncertain.

“But the question for me and for all of us now is, where do we go from here? Someone spoke with me on the matter, and I said, I just hope that it’s not a little too late of what has just come up because the Labour Party is almost decimated. Most of the members have gone. Will this judgment bring them back? I don’t know. Will it energize those who are there now? Again, I don’t know. So, when it’s time, we’ll talk.”

When asked whether he would defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or remain in the Labour Party to seek re-election, Imasuen responded, “Why do you say APC? It’s a good question, but whatever decision or direction I take, you’ll be the first one.”

DAILY GAZETTE recall that the Supreme Court had, on Friday, removed Abure as the LP National Chairman, setting aside a decision from the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had previously recognized him as the party’s leader.

The five-member panel of the Supreme Court ruled that the appellate court lacked jurisdiction to make such a declaration, as matters related to party leadership are considered internal affairs outside the judiciary’s domain.

Chief Dr. George Muoghalu, the immediate past Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), has secured the Labour Party (LP) nomination for the Anambra State governorship election set for November 8, 2025.

Muoghalu won the party’s primary election held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Finotel Hotel in Awka, by receiving 573 votes.

His sole opponent, Mr. John Nwosu, received 19 votes.

The result was announced by Hon. Barr Benedict Etanabene, the Chairman of the LP Governorship Primary Election for Anambra.

According to Etanabene, out of a total of 597 votes cast, 592 were valid, while 5 votes were invalid.

Describing the election process as peaceful, Etanabene urged delegates to begin grassroots mobilisation across the 21 local government areas of Anambra.

He also commended the security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the media for ensuring the success of the primary.

In his acceptance speech, Chief Muoghalu expressed gratitude to the delegates for their trust in him.

He promised not to disappoint Anambra or the nation if given the opportunity to govern the state.

He concluded by stating that his victory in the November 2025 election would mark the confirmation of Anambra as a Labour Party state.

Mr. Nicholas Ukachukwu has secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election.

He emerged victorious in the primary held on Saturday, defeating his closest rival, Valentine Ozigbo.

Ukachukwu received 1,455 votes, while Ozigbo garnered 67 votes.

The Anambra governorship election, scheduled for November 2025, will be the next major off-cycle election in Nigeria.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo has already secured the nomination for the state’s ruling party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

After being declared the winner of the APC primary, Ukachukwu promised to deliver the state to the APC. He said, “We shall deliver Anambra to the APC. One thing I want to say here, nobody has won the governorship of Anambra without my support; it has never happened before.”

He continued, “I have been playing godfatherism, but now I want to be the father of the father, no more godfather.”

Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the current Governor of Anambra State, has been nominated as the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for the upcoming governorship election in the state scheduled for November 8, 2025.

Soludo, who was returned unopposed in the primary, garnered over 300 votes during the exercise held in Awka on Saturday.

Voting took place among delegates from all 21 local government areas in Anambra, who were asked to cast their ballots in favor or against Soludo.

After the voting concluded, the votes were sorted and counted.

Uche Nwegbo, the chairman of the electoral panel, announced the results, stating that out of the 3,260 delegates eligible for the primary, 3,175 were accredited.

A total of 3,172 votes were cast, with only 4 invalid votes.

Soludo secured 3,168 “yes” votes, with no votes cast against him.

With the announcement of the result, Nwegbo declared Soludo as the official APGA candidate for the 2025 governorship election, a declaration met with loud cheers from the audience.

Following the announcement, Governor Soludo took to the podium to address the crowd, expressing his gratitude for the overwhelming support and endorsement.

He said, “I want to sincerely, with every deepest sense of humility, give gratitude to the Almighty God for His grace upon our lives, the God that gave Nigeria APGA, gave Anambra State APGA, and we said this is our own.”

Soludo continued, “With utmost gratitude to Him, utmost surrender to Him, in humility, I want to say that I’m humbled by this unprecedented historic display of solidarity, support, and overwhelming mandate given to me again by our party again to be able to fly its flag for the forthcoming election. And I want to say with humility, I accept the nomination.”

He added, “Let’s do it again together, let’s continue with the progressive movement in Anambra, Anambra is rising under the democratic leadership that we have here.”

Governor Soludo also confirmed that his current deputy, Onyeka Ibezim, will remain his running mate in the forthcoming election.

Victor Olunloyo, a former Governor of Oyo State, has passed away at the age of 90.

His family made the announcement on Sunday through a statement.

According to his wife, Mrs. Ronke Olunloyo, the former governor died at a private hospital in Ibadan after a brief illness.

Prior to his death, plans were already underway for his 90th birthday celebration, which was scheduled for later this month in April.

The statement shared by Mrs. Olunloyo reads, “With a heavy heart but gratitude to the Almighty, we announce the passing into glory of Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, former governor of Oyo State, mathematician and engineer and renowned technocrat, a few days before his 90th birthday.”

Dr. Olunloyo, who held the titles of the Balogun of Oyo and Otun Bobasewa of Ife, was also recognized as the first rector of Kwara State Polytechnic, among other distinguished positions.

His extensive service to both the nation and humanity is a source of pride for his family and associates, even as they come to terms with his passing.

The message further noted, “The Olunloyo family will appreciate the understanding of the press and the public as we commence efforts to give him a befitting burial. Even from everlasting to everlasting, He is God.”