Weary of the leadership struggle between the Julius Abure-led Labour Party (LP) and his camp, the Deputy National Chairman, South, of the LP, Lamidi Apapa has collapsed his faction and accepted Abure as the party’s national chairman.

With this development, the leadership tussle between the two camps may have also been laid to rest.

However, the Apapa’s faction has stated that both factions reconciled to fight the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The crisis between Abure and Apapa almost polarised the party to the extent that both filed separate appeals during the presidential election petition.

In what was described as an anti-party activity to destabilise the party for the benefit of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Apapa had filed a petition to discontinue Obi’s presidential petition against President Bola Tinubu.

The NLC had backed Abure during the war of attrition between him and Apapa.

With the new peace deal between Abure and Apapa, the two camps would team up against the plans by the NLC to take over the party.

Abure, who had enjoyed NLC’s support, fell out of favour with the union following a contentious national convention held in Anambra State that returned him and all his loyal members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to office three months ago.

This compelled the NLC Political Commission to void the new leadership and set up a transition committee, saddled with the task of engaging stakeholders of the party and conducting a fresh convention in 90 days.

NLC also embarked on a series of picketing at LP secretariats nationwide, insisting on an all-inclusive convention but Abure had his way.

A source at the LP national secretariat, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, explained that Abure felt the urgent need to close rank with the Apapa’s faction following the open revolt and pressure from the NLC and his perceived differences with Obi.

According to the source, “it is the only logical way for him to have a united front against the threat of the NLC in particular. I believe you already know Abure has a long history with Apapa and Abayomi Arabambi before now,” the source explained.

When contacted, the factional spokesman of Apapa’s camp, Abayomi Arabambi, confirmed the development.

Arabambi told THISDAY that they had no problem with Abure from the outset because they knew he was being misled by NLC leadership.

“Yes, it is true. The reconciliation was done to fight a common enemy.”

When asked who the common enemy was, he said: “Peter Obi and the NLC, particularly the NLC President, Joe Ajaero.”

When reminded that the Abure-led party had reserved the 2027 presidential ticket for Obi, the spokesman of the Apapa faction said “That is a complete fallacy.”

He said: “We are together to stop all those political hawks from taking over our party. We thought they (NLC) were fighting for a just cause. But it is very obvious they only want to take over our party and we are not going to accept that.

He added: “I also want you to know that there is nothing like the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign here anymore. It has been dissolved. Everybody has reverted to former governorship and presidential candidates. We don’t want disinformation from the Labour Party.”

The National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, also confirmed the reunion to THISDAY, saying it was not out of place for Abure to extend olive branches to aggrieved members of the party.

According to him, both leaders reconciled to move the party ahead.

He said: “They have reconciled and Apapa has reverted to his earlier position as the Deputy National Chairman, South. Apapa pledged solidarity with the Abure-led National Working Committee.

“The Labour Party is one united party now except some little pockets of opposition led by Kenneth Okonkwo. We are sure that sooner than expected, he will join the mainstream party led by Abure,” Ifoh added.

Ifoh stressed that it was because of the reconciliation that Apapa had been speaking in favour of one united political party led by Abure.

He also disclosed that there were ongoing talks with the Ajaero-led NLC to put the Labour Party in good position for the politics of 2027 and the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo scheduled later this year.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, is the “supreme architect” of the crisis in the state.

The ruling party is reacting to a comment by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleging plots to take over the government of Rivers forcefully.

Felix Morka, the national spokesperson for the APC, claimed in a statement released on Thursday that the opposition party made the “fake” assertion without addressing the problems facing the state.

According to Morka, Fubara has disrespected the law ever since taking office.

“Quite contrary to the PDP’s misplaced quibbles against Chief Okocha’s comments, Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the supreme architect of the horrific crisis rocking Rivers state,” the statement reads.

“Since assuming office over a year ago, Governor Fubara has displayed reckless disdain for the rule of law and democratic institutions and conducted his government in flagrant violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“In an unprecedented display of autocratic arrogance, Governor Fubara declared the democratically elected Rivers state House of Assembly to be non-existent and, without lawful authority, constituted a bogus and an illegal 3-man sham Assembly in brazen violation of express provisions of the Constitution on the threshold composition of the House of Assembly and in disregard of the separation of powers doctrine.

“The Governor has continued to expend public funds without lawful appropriations by a duly constituted legislature, thereby undermining the will of the good people of Rivers State and their right to effective and accountable democratic governance.”

The APC spokesperson said a “serious and focused” governor would have set a clear programme to conduct local government elections in the state.

Apart from the rift without Nyesom Wike, minister of federal capital territory (FCT), which has torn apart the Rivers house of assembly, the state is witnessing a crisis at the local government level.

Recall that Fubara, on Tuesday, asked the heads of local government administration to assume control of the 23 council areas of the state following the tenure expiration of the chairmen.

Despite the governor’s directive, some former LGA chairmen reportedly attempted to resume duty at the council secretariats but were chased away by youths.

The development sparked political tension in Rivers as residents protested at the LGA secretariats while police officers fired multiple shots into the air to disperse protesters.

Although the governor has sworn in caretaker committee chairs for the LGAs, they have not been allowed to assume their offices.

Edo State’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expelled Philip Shaibu, a former deputy governor of the state.

The PDP state working committee (SWC) in Edo also expelled Dan Orbih, the party’s national vice-chairman (south-south), and Omorgie Ihama, a former member of the house of representatives who represented the Oredo federal constituency.

Ogie Vasco, the PDP spokesperson in Edo state, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said Shaibu, Orbih, and Ihama were expelled over alleged anti-party activities.

Vasco said the SWC took the decision after it “extensively deliberated on the issue”, adding that the expulsion is with immediate effect.

Shaibu was impeached as the deputy governor by the Edo state house of assembly in April.

The impeachment followed the adoption of the report of a seven-member investigative panel.

The panel was set up by Daniel Okungbowa, chief judge of Edo, and was headed by S. A. Omonuwa, a retired justice.

Shaibu was accused of “misconduct, perjury and disclosure of government secrets”.

However, Orbih has rejected his suspension, saying it did not follow due process.

“When a group of persons sits down to make pronouncements that are unconstitutional it only shows that they are ignorant of the constitution of the party,” Orbih told journalists.