Ferdinand Ekeoma, who serves as the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Abia State Governor Alex Otti, has taken aim at the suspended National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Barrister Julius Abure, holding him responsible for the party’s ongoing internal conflicts.
In a Wednesday interview on Nigeria Info FM, Ekeoma asserted, “Mr. Abure is the one destroying the Labour Party. He’s betraying the progressive ideals of the party and, by extension, betraying Nigerians.”
He claimed that Abure had compromised the party’s values for personal benefit and assured that solid evidence would be presented when the time is right.
“At the right time, we will prove that this man sacrificed the party’s integrity for selfish reasons,” he declared.
Ekeoma also took issue with Abure’s leadership, citing the party’s lack of infrastructure in several states, including Abia.
“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,” he observed.
Addressing accusations of bribery, Ekeoma rejected the notion but acknowledged that Abure and other party leaders were financially and logistically supported 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 explained.
Responding to Abure’s demand for proof, Ekeoma dismissed it with sarcasm.
“If Abure meant well for the party, he wouldn’t be boasting. We’re just laughing. He thinks he’s dealing with kids,” he remarked.
The Labour Party’s internal strife has become more apparent, casting doubt over the movement that once galvanized millions of Nigerians—particularly the youth and urban dwellers. While Abure insists on his innocence, critics say his conduct goes against the party’s founding principles.
On Tuesday, SaharaReporters disclosed that Abure had issued a bold challenge to Peter Obi and other aspirants, urging them to produce clear evidence of any funds allegedly given to him or the party during the 2023 elections.
In a video shared by Symfoni, Abure denied receiving any personal funds from any candidate, including Peter Obi, the LP’s 2023 presidential candidate.
Abure warned that “If provoked,” he would retaliate by exposing Obi and others in the opposing camp, threatening to leave them “smelling like rotten eggs.”
Speaking to party members in the Federal Capital Territory, Abure declared:
“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.
“It’s not enough to hide and make vague allegations about corruption. Who gave money? Who received it? Where was it sent? I challenge them to come forward with evidence. And if they can’t, let them forever remain silent.”
Abure also hinted at plans to hold a world press conference to directly confront the accusations. He said his silence thus far was rooted in respect and hope for reconciliation.
“As a leader, I kept quiet, believing perhaps they were making mistakes and would eventually come around. When discussions about agents and funding arose, I said nothing. I chose to bear the good, the bad, and the ugly. That’s leadership. You don’t throw away a flawed child,” he said.
“When I saw that some people were going beyond their boundaries, I came out and released a periphery of what played out. And I am sure that by now, that house is no longer together as it is. 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.”
Taking aim at Abia State Governor Alex Otti, the Labour Party’s only sitting governor, Julius Abure said, “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. We genuinely believed in changing the face of politics, which is why we welcomed everyone without asking for anything.”
“When I met him at Transcorp, he asked me, ‘Chairman, what do I do for you?’ I said, ‘Nothing. Put your money together and use it for the election.’
“We supported them but today 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 them.”