Abure Retains Leadership as Labour Party NEC Dissolves Controversial Usman Committee

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Labour Party has officially disbanded the Caretaker Committee led by Nenadi Usman and reaffirmed its backing for the National Working Committee (NWC) chaired by Julius Abure.

The decision, announced in a statement on Tuesday by NEC Forum Secretary Alhaji Abdulrahim Chindo, followed a virtual NEC meeting on March 17, 2026. The meeting brought together duly elected state chairmen and secretaries, who unanimously endorsed the resolutions.

The NEC instructed National Chairman Julius Abure to inform the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ensuring the party can proceed with preparations for its primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to the statement, the council found that the Usman-led caretaker committee’s activities had “caused significant harm to the party” and were conducted unlawfully. As a result, the NEC dissolved the committee and reaffirmed confidence in Abure’s NWC, which was elected at the party’s national convention in March 2024 and reconfirmed by the NEC in November 2025 under INEC supervision.

The NEC said the virtual session was necessary following calls for both virtual and physical meetings in a Tribune report on March 6, 2026, and included all key party stakeholders.