There are growing concerns within Nigeria’s Labour Party (LP) as rumours spread about a possible mass defection of key members, including Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
According to Vanguard, many party members are waiting for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially interpret the Supreme Court’s recent verdict on the party’s leadership crisis before deciding whether to stay or leave.
A senior party figure, who asked not to be named, revealed that Governor Otti is in advanced talks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), negotiating terms for a potential switch.
Otti reportedly wants guarantees that he and his loyalists both in the Abia State House of Assembly and National Assembly will get automatic tickets for the 2027 elections, a demand the APC is reluctant to fully grant as it might cause unrest within their ranks.
Although Governor Otti and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have both distanced themselves from the Julius Abure-led leadership of the party, they have shown support for the alternative leadership under Senator Nenadi Usman, whom they helped to install as head of a caretaker committee.
Earlier, Governor Otti allowed his supporters to join other political parties for the November 2024 local council elections, where many of them won seats under the Zenith Labour Party and Young Progressives Party.
He defended this move, saying the crisis within the Labour Party pushed his followers to seek better platforms, although he still considers himself a member of the party.
He stated that if he ever decides to leave, he would make it public.
Meanwhile, the party remains divided between the Usman-led caretaker committee and the Abure-led executive, with INEC expected to issue a formal position based on its interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling, which will determine which leadership it will officially recognise.
