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•As faction declares war on Obi-Usman bloc, warns INEC, others
From Sola Ojo, Abuja
The presence of Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, running mate to the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in 2023, Mr. Peter Obi, at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Julius Abure-led faction has sparked renewed concern in the party.
Baba-Ahmed’s presence at the meeting held at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja, yesterday, comes against the backdrop of a deepening internal crisis rocking the party, particularly the unresolved issues surrounding its leadership structure and factional control where Obi, Governor Alex Otti and other top echelons of the party belong to a different camp.
Senator Baba-Ahmed is widely seen as aligning with the faction loyal to Obi until his appearance at the NEC meeting facilitated by Abure-led leadership.
The controversy rocking the party was further heightened with the NEC in session commending Baba-Ahmed for identifying with the leadership and declaring his interest for the 2027 general election.
At the end of this factional NEC meeting, Abure and Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, factional national chairman and national secretary respectively, in a jointly signed resolution dismissed the recent NEC meeting held by the Peter Obi-Nenadi Usman faction at Transcorp Hilton on July 18, as illegal, unconstitutional and of no consequence.
The NEC meeting, attended by members of the National Working Committee (NWC), state chairmen, stakeholders, and others rejected the outcome of the Transcorp gathering, describing it as “a charade built on a foundation of illegality.”
The council accused the Obi-Usman group of attempting to rename an already discredited caretaker committee as an “Interim National Working Committee” in defiance of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
According to them, only the national secretary with the approval of the national chairman has the constitutional authority to convene NEC meetings, as outlined in Article 14(4)(B) of the Labour Party Constitution.
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“Section 82 of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates that notices of such meetings must be jointly signed by the National Chairman and Secretary, with a minimum of 21 days’ notice to INEC”, they noted.
To them, the party’s leadership is not in dispute, citing the March 27, 2024 National Convention held in Nnewi and affirmed by the Supreme Court in its April 4, 2025 judgment thereby calling on the INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to comply fully with the ruling and ignore any moves by the opposing faction.
The faction also ruled out any coalition ahead of the polls, describing those behind coalition talks as “politically spent forces who previously squandered Nigeria’s opportunities.”
The party reaffirmed its ideological independence and commitment to rebuilding its internal structure ahead of the next elections, distancing itself from what it called desperate political maneuvers aimed at hijacking its mandate.
“No matter how illegality is decorated it can not be legal. Renaming the Caretaker Committee, Interim NWC does not remove its illegality.
“This sitting contravenes the Party’s Constitution. Article 14 (4) (B) gives powers to call meetings only to the National Secretary with the approval of the National Chairman.
“The meeting also contravenes the provisions of Section 82 (1) (2) (a) of the Electoral Act 2022 which provides as follows: 82 (1) Every registered political party shall give the Commission at least 21 days’ notice of any Convention, Congress, Conference or meeting convened for the purpose of ‘’merger’’ and electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies, or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified under this Act.
“Such notice must be given by the National Chairman and Secretary of the Party.
“NEC in session consequently disassociating itself from the meeting and its outcomes,” they said.
