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A fresh round of internal dispute has emerged in Labour Party (LP) as the Senator Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha led Caretaker National Working Committee had petitioned the IndependentNational Electoral Commission (INEC), asking the commission to stop recognizing Julius Abure and Umar Farouk as the leaders of the party.
In a statement issued, the faction said it had written to INEC requesting the removal of both names from the commission’s portal, insisting that their tenure ended in June 2024. The group argued that recent court judgements had affirmed its position and urged the electoral body to comply.
According to the statement, the group referenced the Supreme Court judgement of April 4, 2025, and a Federal High Court ruling delivered on August 15, 2025, claiming both decisions invalidated the LP national convention held in March 2024 and recognised Usman and Nwokocha as acting national chairman and secretary, respectively.
The faction also accused unnamed INEC officials of “acting contrary to court pronouncements,” particularly in relation to invitations reportedly extended to Abure for recent meetings with political party leaders. The group asked INEC to publish the court order upon which such invitations were based.
While urging party members to disregard congress guidelines recently circulated by Abure, the Usman-led group said preparations had begun for fresh congresses and a national convention expected to hold within 90 days, in line with the party’s constitution.
It further announced that new interim national and state working committee lists had been forwarded to INEC for acknowledgment, while membership registration and nationwide congresses would commence shortly.
The statement added that the group’s petition to the electoral commission included a demand for a public clarification on the leadership question, stressing the need for what it called “full compliance” with existing court rulings.
As at press time, neither INEC nor the Abure-led faction had responded to the claims. However, the development signals that the leadership tussle that has trailed the party in recent years may persist as preparations for its next national convention gather momentum.
