Otti demands apology from LP factional leaders for reconciliation

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, on Friday, called on the two factional leaders of the Labour Party, Julius Abure and Lamidi Apapa, along with other disgruntled members, to tender a formal apology as a condition for their reintegration into the party.

Otti spoke during the inauguration of Senators Nenadi Usman and Darlington Nwokocha as the interim National Chairman and National Secretary of the party, respectively, at the National Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

He said, “We are calling on aggrieved members of LP including Julius Abure to reconcile with the party. We are not interested in expelling anybody

“All we are asking them to do is to write a letter of apology so that the interim leaders of the party can recall them for us to work with them.”

The crisis within the party escalated recently after Abure reportedly revoked an earlier promise to grant Otti and the LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, automatic tickets for the 2027 elections.

His reaction was said to be in protest of the 29-member national caretaker committee set up by Otti and Obi.

The committee, chaired by former minister Nenadi Usman, was tasked with organising an expanded national congress to elect new executives at all levels—ward, local government, state, and national.

The Abure-led National Working Committee, however, rejected the move, describing it as illegal and null.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, later issued a statement warning Otti to focus on governance and refrain from interfering in internal party affairs.

Just four days after the caretaker committee’s inauguration, the party withdrew the earlier promise of automatic tickets for Obi and Otti ahead of 2027.

When asked if the reversal was a form of retaliation, Abure denied the claim.

He said, “The decision was taken to give equal opportunity to qualified candidates ahead of the next election.”