The internal crisis rocking the Labour Party has escalated as Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Abia State Governor Alex Otti, launched a scathing attack on suspended National Chairman Julius Abure, accusing him of being the root cause of the party's turmoil.

Speaking during an interview on Wednesday on Nigeria Info FM, Ekeoma did not mince words in his criticism: "Mr. Abure is the one destroying the Labour Party. He's betraying the progressive ideals of the party and, by extension, betraying Nigerians."

Ekeoma alleged that Abure compromised the party's integrity for personal interests and promised that evidence would be presented at the appropriate time. "At the right time, we will prove that this man sacrificed the party's integrity for selfish reasons," he stated.

Organizational Failures Highlighted

The governor's aide also pointed to significant organizational deficiencies under Abure's leadership, noting that before Governor Otti and others joined, the Labour Party lacked basic infrastructure in many states.

"For instance, before Governor Alex Otti and others joined, the Labour Party didn't even have an office in Abia. Yet Abure acted as though the party was firmly established across the country," Ekeoma remarked.

While dismissing allegations of bribery, he acknowledged that party leaders, including Abure, received financial and logistical assistance during the 2023 elections. "I'm not talking about bribes—I'm talking about support. It wasn't wrong to assist the national chairman or the party. But there were compromises everywhere you looked," he added.

Abure's Defiant Challenge

In response to mounting criticism, Abure has issued a direct challenge to his accusers, including the party's 2023 presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi, demanding they present concrete evidence of any financial impropriety.

"I want to challenge all of them. I watched them on television talking about corruption. Today, I throw the challenge to every one of them from Peter Obi downward, those who contested the election. Let them come out publicly and state what they gave me personally or what they gave to the party," Abure declared during an address to party members in the Federal Capital Territory.

The suspended chairman also threatened to expose his critics if provoked further. "I am waiting for them from top to bottom to make any other move and I will open my mouth and when I open my mouth, wherever they go to, they will be like smelly egg, rotten egg that nobody will ever buy."

Direct Attack on Governor Otti

Abure specifically targeted Governor Otti, the Labour Party's only sitting governor, who has been suspended from the party. "Look at the governor, jumping around like a cricket from one place to another—we didn't collect a single kobo from him. If he gave money to anyone, let him come forward and say so," he stated.

He recounted a meeting with Otti at Transcorp Hotel, saying, "He asked me, 'Chairman, what do I do for you?' I said, 'Nothing. Put your money together and use it for the election.'"

Abure claimed that despite supporting candidates who won elections on the party's platform, "the party has no N1,000 from any of them, not from the governor elected that we have suspended now or from the senators and the House of Reps members, apart from some of them."

This escalating conflict threatens to further fragment the Labour Party, which gained significant popularity during the 2023 elections, particularly among young and urban voters. As both factions continue to trade accusations, the future of what was once seen as Nigeria's promising third force in politics remains uncertain.