Labour Party ‘best alternative’, says Abure in New Year Message

By : Guardian Nigeria

Date: 1 January 2026 5:54pm WAT

Share :

Labour Party chairman Julius Abure.Photo: X

Labour Party chairman Julius Abure.Photo: X

Labour Party National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, has declared that the party “remains the best alternative to achieving a prosperous Nigeria” as he delivered his New Year message on Wednesday.

Addressing members of the party and Nigerians at large, Abure reflected on 2025 as “a spectacular year filled with mixed feelings,” noting that the Labour Party under his leadership had overcome internal distractions and leadership disputes. Abure, in a statement he personally signed and seen by The Guardian on 1 January 2026, recalled the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling of 4 April 2025, which held that courts could not interfere in the party’s internal affairs. “Since April 4, when the Supreme Court ruled that leadership disputes are matters for the party to resolve through their internal resolution mechanism, the Labour Party leadership has since reasserted itself,” Abure said.

The chairman thanked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for recognising the Supreme Court judgement and resuming official dealings with his leadership. He cited recent developments in Ekiti and Osun states, where Labour Party candidates had been accorded their rights by INEC. Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Abure confirmed that the party had successfully conducted congresses across the federation, except in Abia State, where a court injunction had stalled proceedings. He acknowledged defections during the crisis but emphasised that “the leadership of the party also welcomed new members in their numbers resulting from our revalidation exercise and new membership drive.”

Abure described 2026 as “remarkable in so many ways being the year preceding the election year,” stressing that Nigerians would begin the process of recruiting leadership across all strata in line with constitutional provisions. He urged Nigerians to be wary of political coalitions, insisting that “the only coalition Nigerians need is the coalition with the poor, the market women, civil servants, farmers, students and other proletariats. That coalition is already existing with the Labour Party.”

Criticising rival coalitions, Abure said, “Nigeria should not expect so much from the coalition of looters and plunderers of the nation’s treasury. It is like having an old wine in a new bottle. These characters who have been present since 1999 are still the protagonists of the coalition.” He also took aim at the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of betrayal and inconsistency. “In 2022/2023, he joined the Labour Party campaign train and described these his newfound collaborators as irresponsible, fraudulent, rascals and incompetent. He specifically described Atiku as too old to be President of Nigeria. Today, he has found nothing wrong to be in a cohort with these men,” Abure stated.

Concluding his message, Abure reaffirmed Labour Party’s position as the country’s only credible alternative. “We need men who can build our institutions and develop them to withstand dictatorial tendencies. We don’t need men who are self-centred and who can compromise integrity and dignity for personal ambition. Labour Party remains the only alternative,” he said.

Tags: