How One Man Wrecked a Revolution: The Rise and Ruin of Nigeria’s Labour Party Under Julius Abure

By Dr. Michael Omoruyi
Director of Diaspora Affairs, Liberal Progressive & Patriotic Members Congress (LPPMC)  https://lppmc.org/
*Author, From Grit to Grace: A Memoir of Roots, Resilience, and Reinvention

In the exhilarating lead-up to Nigeria’s 2023 elections, the Labour Party (LP) emerged as a symbol of hope and grassroots mobilization. It was an awakening—the once obscure party had suddenly captured the imagination of Nigeria’s youth, civil society, and professionals disenchanted by the status quo. At the center of this meteoric rise was not Julius Abure, but Peter Obi, whose vision and integrity galvanized a movement. But tragically, at the center of its fall is Julius Abure, whose leadership has, by many accounts, become synonymous with chaos, corruption, and compromise.

The Labour Party’s promise was profound: a break from the political recycling of incompetence and greed. It was a chance to redefine Nigeria’s democratic narrative. Yet, that promise has unraveled with alarming speed—and Abure’s hands are all over the wreckage.

From Administrator to Autocrat

Julius Abure did not build the Labour Party’s national relevance; he inherited it. The wave that lifted the party was organic—a people-powered revolution born out of frustration and the credibility of a new kind of leadership symbolized by Peter Obi. Abure, as National Chairman, had the rare opportunity to steward this rising movement into long-term political transformation. But rather than serving the movement, he positioned himself above it.

Internal party structures soon came under his personal control. Critics within the party were sidelined. Decision-making became opaque. Financial records were guarded with secrecy. Candidates began to accuse the party leadership of selling nominations to the highest bidder, undermining the credibility that brought millions to the movement. Where transparency was expected, tyranny took root.

Legal Battles and Moral Losses

The most damning indictments of Abure’s leadership have come not from opposition parties, but from within. Multiple court cases, suspension letters, and public rebukes from party stakeholders tell a disturbing tale: a man desperately clinging to power by any means necessary.

When a political party spends more time in courtrooms than in communities, it is no longer an agent of change but a caricature of what it once promised. The Labour Party today is defined more by infighting than ideology, more by power struggles than public service. The revolutionary energy of 2023 has been drained into legal quagmires, factionalism, and a loss of moral authority—all under Abure’s stewardship.

Squandering the Youth Mandate

What makes this saga especially painful is what has been lost. For the first time in a generation, Nigerian youths saw themselves in the political process. They campaigned, voted, and organized—not for money, but for meaning. The Labour Party was a vehicle for that idealism.

Instead of cultivating this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Abure treated it like a personal empire. Young Nigerians who risked everything for the movement now watch in disbelief as the party crumbles under mismanagement, greed, and ego.

The betrayal is not just organizational—it is generational.

The Way Forward

If the Labour Party is to be salvaged, it must start with Julius Abure’s exit. Not as a punishment, but as a prerequisite for rebirth. The party needs to undergo immediate internal reforms, rebuild its credibility, and re-establish its moral compass. It must return to the grassroots, apologize to its base, and chart a new, inclusive direction rooted in accountability and democratic values.

Nigerians are not asking for perfection—they’re pleading for sincerity, structure, and sacrifice. Unfortunately, under Abure, those values have been in short supply.

History will not remember Julius Abure as a visionary. It may remember him as the man who was handed a revolution and dropped it. But it is not too late for the Labour Party to rise again—this time, with leadership that reflects the spirit of the people, not the ambition of one man.

Dr. Michael Omoruyi writes from New York City, bearing witness from afar to the tragic unraveling of a party once filled with promise