Abure-led Labour Party Rejects Nenadi Usman as Interim Chair, Declares NEC Meeting Illegal

The Labour Party (LP) faction led by Julius Abure has firmly rejected the appointment of Nenadi Usman as interim national chairperson, denouncing the national executive committee (NEC) meeting that produced her as illegal. The disputed meeting took place in Umuahia, Abia State, on Friday and was convened by a rival LP faction believed to be aligned with Governor Alex Otti of Abia.

In addition to Usman’s appointment, the faction also named Darlington Nwokocha, a former senator from Abia Central, as interim national secretary. The appointments are part of efforts by the group to reconstitute the party’s leadership ahead of a proposed national convention. The interim national working committee announced at the meeting is expected to oversee party affairs until a new NEC is formally elected.

However, the Abure-led leadership swiftly dismissed the legitimacy of the gathering. In a statement signed by Umar Farouk Ibrahim, the party’s national secretary, the faction described the Umuahia NEC meeting as “illegal and inconsequential,” stressing that only the national secretary, in consultation with the national chairman, is constitutionally empowered to convene a NEC meeting. Ibrahim cited Articles 14(4)(b) and 13(B)(xii) of the party’s constitution to reinforce the position that the formation of committees must come from a duly constituted NEC.

He declared the leadership of the party remains intact and that no vacancy exists until the end of the current tenure in 2028. Ibrahim also referenced the April 4, 2025, Supreme Court judgment, which upheld Abure’s leadership and emphasized that political parties must resolve internal disputes without external interference.

The statement accused Governor Otti of instigating disunity within the party and claimed that many of his allies had already distanced themselves from his faction. “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,” Ibrahim said.

He urged party members nationwide to disregard the outcome of the Umuahia meeting and advised Governor Otti to redirect his attention to governance in Abia rather than political infighting. “We also urge the governor to channel the Abia State resources to providing basic infrastructure for the good people of the state,” he added.