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Nigeria’s Labour Party national secretariat in Abuja came under new management on Tuesday as a rival faction backed by Abia State Governor Alex Otti formally assumed control of the headquarters, with police personnel deployed to enforce the transition.
Members, supporters, and journalists arriving at the party’s Utako office faced heightened security measures, including mandatory identity verification and screening before being allowed entry. The takeover follows a Federal High Court ruling last month that declared the tenure of former National Chairman Julius Abure had expired.
Senator Nenadi Usman, who leads a caretaker committee recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, confirmed that police presence at the secretariat was requested by her faction to ensure a peaceful handover. “Yes, the police mounting guard at the national secretariat were invited by our people. They are there to perform their duties as per the court’s judgment. We are doing this together with the NLC,” Usman said, referring to the Nigeria Labour Congress, which has supported her faction’s claim to leadership.
The development marks the latest turn in a protracted leadership dispute that has split the Labour Party since the 2023 general elections. Both factions have claimed legitimacy, filed competing court cases, and accused each other of undermining party unity. Usman dismissed concerns about potential violent resistance from the Abure camp, saying the former chairman had already removed his belongings from the office following the court judgment. She insisted the legal basis for any challenge had been eliminated. “There can’t be any confrontation from Abure. On what leg or basis is he standing to confront anybody? The same Abure you are talking about has since moved all his belongings from that office after the judgment,” Usman said.
She emphasized that her faction’s recognition by INEC represented a decisive shift in the power struggle. Prior to the recent court directive, neither faction had been fully acknowledged by the electoral commission, leaving the party in administrative limbo. “Since we started the agitation to take over the party secretariat, our name has not been on the INEC portal. There has never been a clear court directive by any court in Nigeria until now that Nenadi has been fully recognised as the national chairman,” Usman explained. She added that police cooperation reflected changed circumstances. Previous requests for security support had been ignored or delayed, but authorities now appeared willing to enforce the court ruling.
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The caretaker leadership invited journalists to witness the official takeover at 11 a.m., describing it as a ceremony for the handover of progress reports on membership revalidation and registration. A terse statement from the interim leadership announced the event would also mark the formal assumption of control over the national secretariat.
Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary for the Abure faction, expressed surprise at the police action and suggested it contradicted legal procedures. He noted that his faction had already filed an appeal against the Federal High Court judgment. “It is strange to hear the police sealed up our secretariat despite knowing we have appealed the case. Their defence is that they have a court order to seal up the place. We will make our position on this issue known very soon,” Ifoh said.
The January ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja determined that Abure’s term as party chairman had concluded and directed INEC to recognize Usman’s caretaker committee until a national convention could be convened to elect permanent leadership.
The judgment emerged from a tangled web of internal conflicts, legal battles, and competing leadership structures that have plagued the Labour Party since its unexpectedly strong showing in the 2023 presidential election. The party’s candidate, Peter Obi, finished third in that race but energized a coalition of young voters and urban professionals.
While the Otti-backed faction welcomed the court decision, it publicly called for unity and reconciliation within the party. Abure rejected the ruling outright and vowed to pursue all available legal remedies, warning INEC against siding with what he described as an illegitimate faction. Despite those warnings, INEC moved to update its records. Two weeks ago, the commission replaced Abure’s name with Usman’s on its official website, listing her as acting National Chairman. Other officials now recognized include Senator Darlington Nwokocha as National Secretary, Hamisu Santuraki as National Treasurer, Aisha Madije as National Financial Secretary, and Eric Ifere as National Legal Adviser. Sources within the Usman faction indicated that preparations were underway to replicate the Abuja takeover at Labour Party state secretariats nationwide. The extent of support for either faction across Nigeria’s 36 states remains unclear, though both camps claim majority backing from party structures.
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The Nigeria Labour Congress has aligned itself with the Usman faction, arguing that Abure’s leadership failed to follow proper democratic procedures and marginalized labor union voices within party decision-making. The NLC historically played a founding role in the Labour Party’s establishment.
Governor Otti has not publicly commented on Tuesday’s developments, but his administration has been widely identified as a key backer of efforts to remove Abure from leadership. Otti won election under the Labour Party banner in 2023, giving him significant influence over party affairs in the southeast region.
The leadership battle carries implications beyond internal party politics. The Labour Party’s performance in 2023 suggested it could emerge as a viable alternative to Nigeria’s dominant political machines, but organizational dysfunction threatens to squander that momentum ahead of future electoral contests.
