The factional chairman of Labour Party, Julius Abure, has disclosed why he met the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike last week.
Abure drew heavy backlash from Nigerians, especially opposition loyalists and supporters of Peter Obi, when his photo with Wike went viral on social media.
Abure spoke during a National Executive Council meeting on Monday, citing his right to private affairs with other citizens residing in the FCT.
He said: “Last week, I met with the FCT minister, and it attracted a lot of comments, a lot of misconceptions, and a lot of talk about the photographic events”
“Now that we have the privilege of convening this meeting, it’s an opportunity for me to make a few brief remarks.
“I want to say, firstly and very clearly, that I am in Nigeria. I live in the FCT, and Nyesom Wike is the FCT minister.
“I have the right, as a Nigerian, to interface and interact with anybody—with any public officer in the federal government of Nigeria.
“The meeting was privileged and, therefore, was purely a private meeting.”
Abure also seized the moment to reaffirm his influence in the party, declaring himself the leader who built the LP into a national force.”
“I also want to say clearly and quickly that we have paid our dues in the Labour Party,” he said.
“We have controlled this party for many years, and by the grace of God, today, the party has become one of the biggest political parties in Nigeria, under my watch.”
The closed-door talks came just days after Abure’s faction demanded Peter Obi’s exit from LP for joining an ADC coalition, further destabilizing the opposition party ahead of 2027 polls.
Notably, Wike – a PDP leader serving in APC’s government – faces accusations from his own party of orchestrating the LP’s internal crisis.
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