Labour Party chairman, Abure attacked at Abuja airport

The Labour Party (LP) has condemned the physical assault on its National Chairman, Julius Abure, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The incident occurred on Friday when Abure, who was preparing to board a Max Air flight to Benin, was allegedly attacked by a woman identified as Precious Oruche, popularly known as “Mama P.”

According to a statement released by the party’s spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, Mama P confronted Abure at the boarding line and continued the confrontation onboard, despite efforts by flight attendants to calm her down.

“The attacker, Madam P, who is also a known content creator, continued the attack all throughout the duration of the flight, defying all attempts by the Max Air flight attendants to calm her. The assault, which attracted a large number of onlookers, continued on disembarkation at the Benin Airport while she kept recording the scene,” Ifoh said.

It reportedly took the intervention of security operatives at the Benin Airport to escort Abure to safety, while the woman was handed over to the police.

What sparked outrage within the party was a video later released by the woman, in which she allegedly boasted about her high-level connections and vowed to continue attacking LP leaders.

“In one of her films released, the lady claimed that she has contacts with the highest police hierarchy, boasted that nothing will happen to her, and vowed that she will not stop attacking Abure or any member of the Labour Party executive because, according to her, ‘you have killed Labour Party and you are the reason why Obi is no longer in the Labour Party,’” the statement added.

The LP described the attack as a politically motivated “suicidal aggression” and called on the police to investigate her sponsors.

“We sincerely believe that the lady-agent was on an assignment to accomplish the desires of her paymasters. Assault and cyber-bullying are severe crimes under our laws, and we think that the Police must fish out her sponsors and cohorts, and bring them to book,” Ifoh said.

The party urged members to remain calm and not retaliate while awaiting the outcome of police investigations.

Since rising to prominence during the 2023 general elections on the back of Peter Obi’s campaign and the Obidient movement, Abure has faced mounting leadership challenges within the Labour Party.

Though several court rulings, including by the Court of Appeal, have affirmed his position, a Supreme Court judgment in April 2025 raised questions over the legality of his continued tenure, fueling factional disputes within the party.