The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially acknowledged the leadership of the Labour Party (LP) National Working Committee (NWC) led by Nenadi Usman, following a court order requiring this recognition. This development adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing power struggle within the party, one of Nigeria’s prominent opposition factions. As of now, Usman is listed as the caretaker committee chairperson on the INEC website, flanked by other key members including Senator Darlington Nwokocha as National Secretary.
The backdrop to this recognition includes a January 21 ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which annulled the leadership of Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party. Justice Peter Lifu’s decision was based on a Supreme Court verdict that deemed Usman the legitimate leader. He mandated INEC to accept the Usman-led NWC as the party’s governing authority until the next convention is held.
Further complicating matters, Justice Lifu noted that the evidence presented indicated Abure’s tenure had already concluded. His ruling emphasized the necessity of establishing a caretaker committee, a process made essential by the previous Supreme Court judgment. In a show of defiance, Abure’s faction has vowed to appeal the ruling, arguing that the matter is an internal affair of the party, one that should not involve judicial intervention.
The spokesman for Abure’s group, Obiorah Ifoh, criticized the court’s decision, claiming that it contradicted the Supreme Court’s stance that party leadership issues are inherently internal. He affirmed that the Court of Appeal had previously upheld Abure’s committee as the party’s authentic leadership. This internal discord stems from the aftermath of the 2023 elections, where the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, garnered significant support but has since moved to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), leaving the LP in a state of flux
