The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally recognised the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party led by former Finance Minister, Nenadi Usman, following a court directive.
A check on INEC’s official website on Friday, January 30, showed that Usman has been listed as Chairperson of the Labour Party caretaker committee. Other officials recognised by the electoral body include Senator Darlington Nwokocha as National Secretary, Hamisu Santuraki as National Treasurer, Aisha Madije as National Financial Secretary, and Eric Ifere as National Legal Adviser.
The recognition follows a judgment delivered on January 21 by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which affirmed Usman as the authentic leader of the party and removed Julius Abure as national chairman. Justice Peter Lifu, who presided over the matter, anchored his ruling on an earlier Supreme Court decision, which he said validated Usman’s leadership.
In his judgment, Justice Lifu ordered INEC to recognise the Usman-led committee as the legally constituted authority of the Labour Party pending the conduct of a fresh national convention. He ruled that evidence before the court showed that Abure’s tenure had elapsed.
Although the court described the leadership dispute as a non-justiciable internal party matter, Justice Lifu held that the establishment of a caretaker committee was “a necessity” arising from the Supreme Court’s pronouncement on the issue.
The Abure-led faction of the party has rejected the ruling and announced plans to challenge it at the Court of Appeal. The group’s spokesperson, Obiorah Ifoh, described the judgment as contradictory to the Supreme Court’s position.
According to Ifoh, the apex court had clearly stated that courts lack the power to appoint leadership for political parties, maintaining that such matters fall strictly within the internal affairs of the parties. He also noted that the Court of Appeal had previously affirmed Abure’s National Working Committee as the legitimate leadership of the Labour Party.
The leadership crisis in the Labour Party has persisted since the aftermath of the 2023 general elections, in which the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, secured over six million votes nationwide.
In the lead-up to the 2027 elections, Obi has since defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while the Labour Party appointed Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, as its national leader—further deepening divisions within the opposition party.
