Otti, LP reject Abure’s 2027 nomination forms sale

The leadership crisis within the Labour Party (LP) has taken a dramatic turn as Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the main national executive of the party have openly rejected the sale of 2027 election nomination forms by the embattled former National Chairman, Julius Abure.

Describing the forms as "worthless papers," the party leadership has warned all political hopefuls and party faithful to steer completely clear of Abure’s faction.

The Spark: Abure's Move in Abia State
The latest friction exploded after social media was flooded with images of Julius Abure presenting 2027 governorship nomination forms to individuals—most notably backing Hon. Ceekay Igara as an alternative governorship aspirant in Abia State. This direct challenge aimed to effectively "dump" the incumbent governor, Alex Otti, ahead of the 2027 race.

In a swift and blistering response, Governor Otti and the mainstream LP leadership under the National Working Committee (NWC) pulled no punches in invalidating the entire exercise.

"Worthless Papers": The Party’s Official Stance
The Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary issued a stern warning over the weekend, making the party's official position clear:

Total Disownment: The party declared that any nomination forms distributed by Julius Abure are invalid, illegal, and unrecognized.

Warning to Aspirants: Members and aspirants nationwide have been cautioned not to patronize or buy forms from unauthorized channels. The NWC emphasized that only forms obtained directly through the party's official national secretariat in Abuja will be valid for the 2027 general elections.

Financial Risk: The leadership warned that anyone handing over millions of Naira to the Abure faction for 2027 forms is doing so at their own personal and financial peril, as the party will not honor those documents.

The Broader Context of the LP Feud
This public clash is a continuation of the deep-seated factional war within the Labour Party that intensified after the 2023 elections:

The Power Tussle: Governor Alex Otti, alongside the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and major stakeholders (including the Nigeria Labour Congress), have consistently pushed for a clean transition from Abure’s leadership, organizing stakeholders' meetings to reposition the party.

Retaliation Strategies: In retaliation for losing the support of the party's highest-ranking elected officials, the Abure-led group had previously threatened to withdraw automatic 2027 return tickets from both Obi and Otti. This latest move to sell parallel forms in Otti's home state of Abia represents a direct attempt to undermine the governor’s local political structure.

Despite Abure's maneuvers, the mainstream Labour Party and Governor Otti maintain that the party’s administrative coast is clear, advising members to remain focused and ignore what they term a "distraction" designed to fracture opposition unity ahead of 2027.