The Labour Party (LP) faction under the embattled former national chairman, Julius Abure, has advised Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, to stop claiming loyalty to the party, accusing him of working actively with an “illegal caretaker committee” connected to the emerging opposition coalition anchored by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a statement issued on Friday through its former National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, Abure dismissed Otti’s assertion of remaining within the LP, noting that the conduct of local council elections by his administration under the Zenith Labour Party platform was a clear evidence of defection.

“How can he claim to be in Labour Party when he conducted local government elections in Abia under the Zenith Labour Party? He formed, funds, and controls the illegal caretaker committee aligned with the ADC-led coalition.

“Dr. Alex Otti cannot be in Labour Party and simultaneously work against it. It’s time for him to pick a side and leave ours,” Abure said.

The faction stated that Otti has been indefinitely suspended for his anti-party actions.

“We are a party driven by principle, youth engagement, and national purpose, not opportunism,” he noted.

He reiterated that the party was undergoing significant reshaping ahead of the 2027 general election, focusing on consolidating its ideological base and restructuring its leadership ranks.

“Labour Party cannot house individuals whose interests are self-serving. We are cleaning our house and building a team rooted in commitment to Nigerians, not political maneuvering,” Abure added.

He firmly rebuffed rumors of LP’s involvement in national coalition talks.

“Labour Party is not and will not be part of any so-called coalition,” he declared.

He described the coalition as a “marriage of political convenience lacking shared ideology or vision.”

On the caretaker committee aligned with the ADC-coalition, he described the committee “as part of a superficial, power-driven alliance, neither principled nor democratic.”