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Nigeria’s Labour Party has accused its former leadership of forcibly entering the party’s national secretariat in Abuja and removing official documents, deepening an internal crisis that has followed a recent court ruling over the party’s leadership structure.
The allegations were made by the Nenadi Usman–led Caretaker Committee, which said the break-in occurred days after a Federal High Court in Abuja removed the Julius Abure–led National Working Committee (NWC) and recognised the Usman group as the party’s legitimate leadership. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) subsequently acknowledged the court decision, formally recognising the Caretaker Committee.
Party officials said the secretariat was intact when the newly recognised leadership met there on Tuesday morning. By nightfall, they allege, the building was forcibly entered and offices were vandalised, with key documents removed.
On Thursday, Senator Nenadi Usman, chair of the Caretaker Committee, led an inspection of the premises alongside senior officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and members of the party’s Board of Trustees. They called on security agencies to investigate the incident and arrest those responsible. Briefing journalists after the inspection, Usman accused former party chairman Julius Abure of orchestrating the operation. She said the vandalism took place hours after the Caretaker Committee formally took possession of the secretariat following the court ruling. “The whole thing started on Tuesday night, right up to the early hours of Wednesday, after we came here, held a ceremony, and left,” she said. “We were later told hoodlums broke into the offices. You have seen the extent of the damage, documents were carted away.”
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Usman alleged that Abure arrived at the secretariat with security personnel, describing the incident as “enforcement of criminality with government backing.” She said she was not physically present during the alleged break-in but cited testimony from the security guard on duty.
The guard, Aminu Salusi, told journalists that Abure personally led the group that entered the premises. According to Salusi, Abure’s security aide assaulted him and held him at gunpoint after he refused to open the gate because he did not have authorisation or keys. “I said I couldn’t because I didn’t have the keys,” Salusi said. “They arrived with DSS officials who climbed the fence, gained entry, and started beating me. I tried to run, but they caught me. They demanded the office keys, and when I refused, they beat my colleague too. They pointed guns at us and threatened to shoot if we didn’t cooperate.”
He alleged that the group then forced entry into offices upstairs, including the chairman’s office, and ordered him to leave the premises and not return.
The Labour Party said the incident had been formally reported to security agencies and demanded a full criminal investigation. No official response had been issued by police or other security bodies at the time of publication.
Usman said the documents removed included administrative and organisational records that were present when the Caretaker Committee met earlier in the day. “The day we came to take over, I saw quite a number of documents, but now they’ve disappeared,” she said. “This illegal break-in isn’t just theft. It’s an existential threat to democracy,” she added. “Every institution must be respected. When it’s your time to go, you leave the documents so those who follow can know what happened and build on it.” She warned against what she described as the normalisation of lawlessness in political transitions. “Nigeria must not become a nation where outgoing officials loot offices like common bandits,” she said, adding that the party would pursue the matter legally.
The crisis follows a Federal High Court ruling that removed the Abure-led NWC and declared the Usman-led group the authentic leadership of the party. The judgment resolved months of internal disputes that had fractured the party’s leadership structure, with competing factions claiming legitimacy.
The Caretaker Committee took formal possession of the secretariat on Tuesday after being recognised by INEC. Party officials say the vandalism occurred the same night. Usman said she was not shaken by the incident or by reports that the Abure faction had filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal. “We are not shaking,” she told reporters, adding that the committee would continue its work regardless of legal challenges. She outlined plans to rebuild the party’s organisational structure, saying the focus would be on grassroots mobilisation and membership revitalisation. According to her, the party intends to work with labour groups and civil society organisations, including the NLC Political Commission, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and community-based networks such as workers’ associations and market unions. “Membership is the first building block,” she said. “We are registering old members, new members, and allies across the country.”
Addressing recent defections, including the exit of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Usman said the party remained open to new members. “The more the merrier,” she said, describing political participation as inclusive and broad-based.
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Senior labour leaders who joined the inspection included NLC Deputy National Chairman Theophilus Ndubuaku and Acting General Secretary Benson Upah. Also present were members of the Labour Party’s National Working Committee and Board of Trustees, including Salihu Mohammad, Ismail Bello, Chris Uyot, and Dr Chibuzo Okereke.
Upah said organised labour would continue to support efforts to stabilise the party ahead of future elections, adding that internal order and institutional integrity were essential for political credibility.
The Abure-led faction has not issued a public response to the allegations, and no official statement has been released denying or confirming the claims made by the Caretaker Committee and the security guard.
The Labour Party has faced prolonged internal disputes since the 2023 elections, with leadership conflicts weakening its organisational structure and public coherence. The latest incident has further escalated tensions, transforming a legal and political dispute into a criminal matter now involving security agencies. At the time of publication, there had been no arrests, and no formal findings from security authorities had been released. Party officials said they were awaiting the outcome of investigations and any legal proceedings that may follow.
