Eshioromeh Sebastian in Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has updated its official portal, formally replacing Julius Abure’s name with that of Senator Nenadi Usman as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.
Although the Commission has not made an official announcement about the decision, its action complies with a Federal High Court judgment ordering it to recognize Usman’s faction as the party’s legitimate leadership.
𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 reports that the update, which appeared just two weeks after the ruling, appears to be the commission’s implementation of the controversial decision by Justice Peter Lifu of the Abuja Federal High Court.
The development has ignited a fresh firestorm within the troubled opposition party, which now finds itself with two competing bodies claiming authority and issuing contradictory statements.
The Nenadi Usman-led faction had earlier welcomed the court’s decision.
A statement, signed by her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Eluma Asogwa, Usman described the ruling as a victory for the party and Nigerian democracy, not for any individual.
“We urge our members not to celebrate with triumphalism. Rather, this moment should be embraced as a solemn opportunity for genuine reconciliation,” the statement read, extending an “olive branch” to all aggrieved members. It also announced plans to constitute a “Truce and Reconciliation Committee” and called on INEC to “fully comply” with the court order, a call seemingly now answered with the portal update.
However, in a swift rebuttal, the Julius Abure leadership denounced the judgment and announced an immediate appeal.
This was contained in a statement by National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh, where the faction accused the court of a “clear contradiction” of Supreme Court precedent, which holds that leadership issues are internal party affairs and that courts cannot install party leaders.
The statement raised several allegations, including “forum shopping”, noting the case was transferred from Justice Omotosho to Justice Lifu—and claimed their adversaries were “jubilating weeks before” the judgement was delivered.
“It is curious how this court arrived at holding that there was a vacuum in the leadership of the party,” Ifoh stated, defending the legitimacy of Abure’s executive, which was elected at a national convention in March 2024. “The party is not for sale and no amount of financial power will make us abdicate our leadership position.”
A senior party official, speaking on condition of anonymity, has accused Peter Obi of attempting to destabilize the party.
The official criticised Mr. Obi’s move from the Labour Party to the ADC, noting he has neither officially registered with his new party nor formally resigned from the old one, thereby leaving his supporters in a state of confusion.
The official was unequivocal in describing the impact of these actions. “Peter Obi is playing the devil’s role in this entire affair. His tactics are designed to sow discord and cripple the party’s stability from within”, he said.
“Someone who calls himself a leader cannot in good faith abandon one party for another without fulfilling the basic duties of resignation or registration,” the official stated.
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