The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) took a dramatic turn on Friday as a faction of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by Abia State Governor, Allex Otti, elected Senator Nenadi Usman as its new National Chairperson.
The development has further polarised the party, with the Julius Abure-led faction immediately rejecting the election as “illegal and unconstitutional.”
The election occurred amid unresolved tensions, coming just 24 hours after fractious talks between Otti and Apapa collapsed.
The contentious meeting, held in Abuja and attended by key stakeholders including NLC President Joe Ajaero and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, saw the appointment of Senator Darlington Nwokocha as National Secretary alongside other interim officers.
This move directly challenges the authority of the Abure-led NWC, setting the stage for a potentially protracted battle for control of the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, in a statement issued on Friday by the party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, the LP dismissed the meeting as a gathering of “suspended members” masquerading as legitimate officials.
The reaction by the Abure-led faction of the party follows the appointment of Senator Nenadi Usman as Interim National Chairman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha as Interim National Secretary during a Friday NEC meeting held in Abuja.
The party cited constitutional violations, stating that only the National Chairman and National Secretary have the authority to convene a NEC meeting.
“Article 14(4)(b) of the party’s constitution empowers the National Secretary in consultation with the National Chairman to convene a NEC or any other national meeting,” the statement read. “Also, Article 13(B)(xii) mandates only the NEC to establish ad-hoc and standing committees. By these provisions, every meeting convened by Governor Otti and his caretaker committee is unconstitutional and of no effect.”
The LP further emphasized that “there has never been any vacancy in the leadership of the Labour Party, and there will not be any until 2028.”
The statement referenced the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025, judgment, which affirmed Barrister Julius Abure as the party’s legitimate chairman.
“The apex court ruled that all disputes in any political party should be resolved internally, reaffirming the supremacy of the party’s constitution,” the LP noted.
The Labour Party claimed that Governor Otti has been abandoned by his allies.
“Dr. Otti and his co-travellers must know by now that the train of the party has moved on,” the statement declared. “Governor Otti is probably not aware that his flanks have been exposed, as the majority of his combatants and leaders have deserted him and moved on. He is probably living in ignorance and in the past.”
The party advised Otti to reconsider his stance, stating, “The coalition needs him more, and we think he should take our advice seriously.”
The LP also accused Otti of diverting state resources for political purposes, urging him to focus on governance.
“We denounce today’s meeting and call on members of the party to ignore its outcome,” the statement said. “We also urge the governor to channel Abia State’s resources toward providing basic infrastructure for the good people of the state rather than wasting resources chasing shadows.”
The newly formed interim committee has been charged with the responsibility to manage the party’s affairs until a national convention elects permanent leaders.
Key resolutions included approving schedules for ward, LGA, state, zonal, and national congresses. The party’s National Secretariat will release detailed guidelines for these elections.
Notable attendees included NLC President Joe Ajaero and Abia Governor Alex Otti, the party’s sole governor. Ajaero reaffirmed LP’s working-class roots, warning: “Anyone claiming to be chairman without labor support is daydreaming.”
Otti emphasized the meeting’s legal basis, stating it complied with a Supreme Court ruling affirming Nenadi’s leadership. He urged the Julius Abure faction to respect the judgment, saying: “We’re formalizing key committees to oversee activities until the convention.”
The governor acknowledged the NLC’s founding role but stressed the party now transcends its labour origins, calling for unity ahead of upcoming elections.
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