The Labour Party has stated that internal failures and strategic mismanagement under Julius Abure’s leadership directly hindered its performance in the 2023 presidential race. National Publicity Secretary Ken Asogwa asserted on Friday that former officials misled Peter Obi regarding the party’s actual operational capacity on election day.
Asogwa explained that the party falsely reported having agents at all 186,449 polling units. In practice, less than 30 percent of these stations were covered, leaving the party unable to secure its votes. Furthermore, the leadership reportedly declined offers from the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress to provide additional polling agents, despite these groups serving as core institutional members.
Under current leaders Governor Alex Otti and Senator Nenadi Usman, the party aims to rebuild its grassroots influence by integrating these union bodies. In response, Julius Abure, speaking through Obiora Ifoh, dismissed the accusations as fabrications by a faction seeking to seize power. Abure highlighted that his tenure resulted in the election of a governor, several senators, and numerous representatives, marking the party’s most successful electoral period to date.
