The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally recognised the Labour Party (LP) National Working Committee (NWC) led by Nenadi Usman, following a Federal High Court order directing the electoral body to do so.
A check on the INEC website on Friday showed that the commission has now listed Usman as the Caretaker Committee Chairperson of the Labour Party.
Other members of the recognised NWC include Senator Darlington Nwokocha (National Secretary), Hamisu Santuraki (National Treasurer), Aisha Madije (National Financial Secretary) and Eric Ifere (National Legal Adviser)
INEC’s action follows a January 21 ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice Peter Lifu upheld Usman’s leadership of the party and ordered that the electoral commission recognise the Usman‑led NWC.
Justice Lifu based his decision on an earlier Supreme Court verdict declaring Nenadi Usman as the authentic leader of the Labour Party.
“The evidence before the court indicated that Abure’s tenure as Labour Party national chairman had ended,” the judge observed, describing the establishment of the Caretaker Committee as “a necessity” arising from the apex court’s ruling.
The judge directed INEC to recognise the Usman‑led Committee as the party’s legally recognised authority until the next valid national convention is held.
The recognition of the Usman group adds another twist to the protracted leadership tussle within the Labour Party, one of Nigeria’s prominent opposition parties.
In response to the ruling, the faction loyal to Julius Abure said it would challenge the decision in the Court of Appeal.
The group’s spokesman, Obiorah Ifoh, described the Federal High Court judgment as inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s position on internal party affairs.
“The judgment was a clear contradiction of the Supreme Court judgment, which clearly stated that no court has the power to appoint leadership for any political party and that leadership issues are internal affairs of political parties,” Ifoh said.
He noted that the Court of Appeal had previously affirmed Abure’s NWC as the authentic leadership of the party.
“To us, this is a clear contradiction of what the Supreme Court said. The apex court held that all matters relating to the leadership of a political party are internal affairs of the party, and that has been its consistent position,” he added.
The internal wrangling in the Labour Party stretches back to the aftermath of the 2023 general elections, when the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, garnered over six million votes.
As the 2027 elections approach, Obi has since declared for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), leaving the Labour Party to appoint Governor Alex Otti of Abia State as its national leader.