Abure Seeks Reconciliation, Obi Revisits Coalition Stance

The Labour Party national chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, has charged the party’s state chairmen to always prioritise the party’s interests and that of the nation above all other parochial interests.

The party chairman, while appreciating the judiciary for always standing on the path of justice, said he is optimistic the courts in Nigeria will continue to do justice in respect of the Labour Party cases.

Meanwhile, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has clarified that he is not against political coalition, noting that his recent comment on the matter was misrepresented.

He however stressed that he will never advocate for a coalition or alliance that does not prioritise the welfare and progress of the ordinary Nigerian.

Addressing the party’s state chairmen from the 37 states and the FCT who paid him a solidarity visit at the national secretariat of the party on Tuesday, Abure re-emphasised the need for reconciliation and closing up the ranks within the party ahead of the general election.

He said, “There is no family without disagreement, there is no political party without its own disagreement, but the ability to come together after those disagreements is what is most important.

“It is often said that it does not matter how many times a man falls but that what is most important is how he has managed to get up each time he has fallen and continues the journey. In other words, it does not matter the level of disagreements or fights but our ability to come together and be able to resolve our differences and move the party forward, is most important. So we are open for reconciliation and we are ready to resolve all our differences and move the party forward.

“The interest of the party and the nation supersede all other parochial interests. I want you to be conscious of the fact that the interest of the party and the interest of the nation supersede every other interest. With this in mind, I believe that we will be able to come together and have a more formidable party for the future of the country.

“I also want to appreciate the judiciary, so far for standing on the path of justice. and for standing on the part of rule of law, I want to appreciate all the justices starting from the Federal High Court and to the Court of Appeal for doing justices. I want to believe that the courts will continue to do justices in respect of the Labour Party cases.

“I want to appreciate the state chairmen for standing firmly by us, we drew a lot of strength from you. Seeing that you were behind us gave us courage and the might to continue to fight on. You are the one that gave us the courage to weather the storm. Just as you drew inspiration from us, we are also drawing inspiration from you.

“I want to assure you that there are better days ahead and that successes will be ours at the end of the day and that there will be light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the chairmen, the Enugu state chairman, Dr Casmir Agbo said Abure’s visionary leadership helped the party overcome the crisis.

Clarifying his earlier position on the emergence of a political coalition, Obi, on his X handle, said “I have observed that my honest interview yesterday was misquoted by many media outlets, creating a false narrative that misrepresents my position. Let me set the record straight:

“I am not against coalition, in truth, I am for it not for power grab but to position Nigeria for greatness.

“I have not, and will never, advocate for any coalition or alliance that does not prioritise the welfare and progress of the ordinary Nigerian.

“Any discussion about governance must centre on what it means for the everyday Nigerian, how it will address critical issues such as access to quality healthcare, and education, and pulling people out of poverty.

“Too often in our nation’s history, individuals and groups have come together solely for the purpose of taking power for power’s sake. Such endeavours, devoid of genuine purpose and vision, have only deepened our challenges, leaving the ordinary Nigerian to bear the brunt of bad governance. This is what I stand firmly against.

“Leadership must be about service, not self-interest. It must be about building a nation where opportunities abound for all, where justice and equity are non-negotiable, and where governance works for the people, not against them.

“As I have always maintained, the New Nigeria is possible. But it requires us to change the way we think about power. It is not about grabbing it; it is about using it responsibly to transform lives and secure a brighter future for generations to come,” he stated.