The Labor Party did not recognize Abure’s nomination form, declaring it invalid ahead of the 2027 election

New cracks emerged in the Labor Party as the party leadership warned candidates and supporters against purchasing nomination forms from former National Chairman Julius Abure, insisting the documents lacked legitimacy.

The warning was issued on Sunday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, amid renewed tensions over the party’s leadership crisis ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a strongly worded statement, the party accused Abure of attempting to mislead unsuspecting candidates by allegedly distributing unauthorized nomination forms in Abia State.

The party said it was forced to react after photos emerged online allegedly showing Abure giving nomination forms to certain individuals.

According to the statement, only the leadership led by Nenadi Usman has the authority to issue valid nomination forms in the upcoming elections.

“It must be stated clearly and unequivocally that Nenadi Usman is the National Chairman of the Labor Party, and all valid nomination forms for any elective office ahead of the 2027 elections can only be obtained through the official National Secretariat of the party located in Utako, Abuja,” the statement read.

The party warned candidates not to fall victim to what it called political fraud, and stressed that any form obtained outside recognized party structures is illegitimate.

“As a result, any Labor Party nomination forms obtained from Julius Abure or other illegitimate sources are simply worthless paper peddled by political fraudsters seeking to defraud unsuspecting people,” Asogwa said.

Labor Party leaders also questioned why the alleged distribution of forms was concentrated in Abia State, a development they said may have been politically motivated.

The statement further stated that the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, would not give in to political pressure or intimidation.

The party accused Abure of continuing to present himself as national chairman despite court rulings and electoral recognition in favor of the interim leadership led by Nenadi Usman.

According to the statement, Abure’s continued actions amounted to criminal impersonation.

Also read: Makinde Camp Advances Plans for 2027, Announces Screening of 3,181 PDP Candidates

“Julius Abure’s continued impersonation of the National Chairman of the Labor Party remains a criminal offense with serious legal consequences that have reached intolerable levels,” the statement added.

Efforts to find out Abure’s reaction to the allegations were unsuccessful, as his telephone line was unreachable at the time of filing the report.

The latest controversy is the latest chapter in a long-running leadership battle that has sharply divided the Labor Party in recent months.

The crisis worsened after the Court of Appeal reportedly upheld Nenadi Usman’s leadership of the party, a decision Abure rejected.

Abure has consistently maintained that disputes relating to party leadership are internal matters outside the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that such decisions conflict with existing legal precedents.

Despite Usman’s objections, the appeals court decision reportedly affirmed an earlier decision of the Federal High Court recognizing Usman’s interim committee as the party’s legitimate leadership.

This dispute worsened after the Independent National Election Commission officially recognized that the National Caretaker Committee led by Nenadi Usman complied with the decision of the Federal High Court.

Political observers believe that these exchanges signal that Labour’s internal crisis is far from resolved as momentum gathers for the 2027 election.