Labour Party Appoints Usman Acting National Chairperson

The Labour Party has appointed a former Finance Minister and lawmaker, Senator Nenadi Usman, as acting national chairperson of the party.

The appointment was part of the resolutions reached during the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which held in Abuja on Wednesday.

The NEC meeting was attended by presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, his running mate, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, elected members of the National and State Houses of assembly, and members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other leaders of the party.

Usman was appointed caretaker committee chairperson during the party’s extraordinary stakeholders meeting convened by the Abia State governor, Dr Alex Otti in September 2024.

She was to lead a 29-member committee constituted during the meeting to conduct the party’s national convention where substantive party leaders would be elected.

In a statement after the NEC meeting on Wednesday, Obi stressed that the meeting was “both timely and necessary as we continue to strengthen our internal structures, promote unity, and refocus our efforts on the mission of building a New Nigeria.”

He affirmed that members of the party unanimously passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of Usman and “believe she is well-positioned to steer the party in this transitional period.”

After the NEC meeting, the party leaders proceeded to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to formally present the recent Supreme Court judgment, which affirmed the party’s leadership transition and the validity of the NEC proceedings.

Obi emphasised that the visit to INEC headquarters was also to formally communicate the appointment of Senator Nenadi Usman as the party’s Acting Chairperson. “This move was not only procedural but necessary. The leadership of our party must start on the right path to preserve the integrity of our internal democratic processes,” Obi stated.

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The former Anambra State governor reiterated that he remains “a proud and committed member of the Labour Party,” adding that his focus is on the Nigerian people, particularly the Nigerian youth, and the struggling families, and also on the vision of achieving an equitable and productive nation.

He warned that this is not the time for division or distraction and called on all members to come together and build a strong and united party with courage, truth, and love for the country.

The delegation led by Governor Otti was received by INEC’s Acting Chairman, Mr. Sam Olumekun, and other National Commissioners.

The Labour Party has been bedeviled with internal crisis, with Julius Abure, who had been the party’s national chairman since 2021, insisting on retaining the position.

The crisis has persisted even after the recent Supreme Court judgment on an appeal filed by Usman to resolve the leadership dispute.

The Supreme Court upheld the appeals by Usman and struck out the cross-appeals by Abure. The apex court held that the lower courts had no jurisdiction to entertain the suit brought before them by Julius Abure, who was seeking to validate his stay in office as national chairman.

It therefore set aside the earlier rulings of the lower courts recognising Abure as the national chairman and struck the suit for want of jurisdiction.

It ruled that courts have no business in the internal affairs of political parties, emphasizing that it is the responsibility of party stakeholders to select their leaders in line with constitutional provisions.

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However, Abure maintained that he remains the party leader, claiming that the Supreme Court judgment was in his favour.

In a statement on Wednesday, Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party faction supporting Abure, argued that Abure’s leadership derives its legitimacy from the party’s national convention organised in March 2024.

In a video shared on X, Abia Governor was seen reading a part of the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment signed by Justice John Okoro, which indicated that three issues brought before the court were resolved in favour of the appellants (Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha).

According to him, the apex court struck out the cross-appeals filed by Abure and admonished political parties and their members to always allow their constitutions, rules, regulations and guidelines to guide them in choosing their officers and candidates for elections to curb incessant internal rifts which lead to litigation.