By Eshioromeh Sebastian in Abuja
Barely 48 hours after the Labour Party (LP) leadership loyal to Julius Abure warned against what it described as the illegal plan to dissolve its elected executives, the faction led by Senator Nenadi Usman has officially notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its intention to conduct nationwide congresses and a national convention.
In a letter dated March 3, 2026, seen by Spear News Nigeria, and addressed to the INEC Chairman, the Nenadi-led National Leadership informed the electoral body of a rescheduled timetable for the party’s Ward, Local Government Area (LGA), and State Congresses, as well as the National Convention.
The letter, signed by Senator Nenadi Usman as National Chairman and Sen. Darlington Nwokocha as National Secretary, cited INEC’s revised schedule of activities for the 2027 General Elections as the reason for the adjustment.
According to the notice, the timeline for the party’s internal elections is as follows:
· Ward Congresses: March 26, 2026
· LGAs Congresses: March 28, 2026
· State Congresses: March 31, 2026
· The National Convention: April 11, 2026
The letter, titled “Notice of Revised Timetable and Rescheduling of the Labour Party Congresses and National Convention,” formally invites the Commission to monitor the exercises across the federation.
This move comes less than two days after the Abure-led faction issued a strong warning against what it described as an illegal plot by the Usman-led Caretaker Committee to dissolve existing party structures.
In a statement released on March 6, 2026, the National Publicity Secretary of the Abure-led LP, Obiora Ifoh, cautioned Senator Nenadi to heed INEC’s advice.
The faction referenced a recent communication from the Commission which stated that the dissolution of State, Local Government, and Ward executives by the National Executive Council (NEC) was invalid without proper statutory notice and constitutional authority.
“The commission regrets to inform you that the dissolution of State, Local Government and Ward Executives of your Party in all the 36 States and FCT by the National Executive Council (NEC) without giving the Statutory Notice of the meeting to the Commission and without the authority to act in your Party Constitution cannot be acceded to,” Ifoh quoted INEC as advising.
The Abure-led faction questioned the legality of the Usman-led committee, describing it as an “alien body” not known to the party’s constitution and accusing its leaders of planning to replace legitimately elected executives with handpicked ones.
“We urge the real members of the Labour Party to ignore the antics of these usurpers as their game will soon be up,” Ifoh stated.
The move by the Nenadi-led group sets the stage for a direct confrontation over the party’s leadership and organizational structure, with INEC’s recognition of the process being a critical factor.
The dispute over which faction has the legitimate authority to conduct these congresses is now a key flashpoint in the party’s ongoing internal crisis.
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