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• Nenadi Usman Appointed as Caretaker Chair Amidst Leadership Dispute
Tayo Busayo, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party escalated on Wednesday following the formation of a 29-member caretaker committee chaired by former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman. The committee, announced after a stakeholders meeting in Umuahia, Abia State, was convened by Governor Alex Otti to address the party’s leadership vacuum.
The meeting resulted in the appointment of Senator Darlington Nwokocha as the committee’s Secretary, with a mandate to conduct ward, local government, and state congresses, along with a national convention within 90 days. The committee’s goal is to midwife the election of a new National Working Committee (NWC) to lead the party. The stakeholders' meeting also had the support of Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, who urged party members to rally behind the committee to ensure the party's survival.
However, the formation of the committee has been rejected by the Julius Abure-led faction of the party. In a swift reaction, the faction disowned the caretaker committee and the Umuahia meeting. Abure’s group, through a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, declared the meeting illegal, asserting that Governor Otti lacked the constitutional authority to convene such a meeting or appoint a caretaker committee.
The Abure group questioned the legitimacy of the meeting and the committee, citing the Labour Party’s constitution, the Electoral Act, and the Nigerian Constitution. They described the event as a “charade” and a waste of resources, stressing that there was no communication from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the status of the party's leadership.
The statement further criticized the appointment of Senator Nenadi Usman as caretaker chair, claiming that she was not a registered member of the party and only appeared during Mr. Peter Obi’s presidential campaign. The Abure faction maintains that there is no vacuum in the party’s leadership and labeled the caretaker committee as an illegitimate extension of the Abia State Government.
This division within the Labour Party is the latest in a series of internal struggles following the expiration of the Abure-led NWC’s tenure on June 10, 2024. Governor Otti defended the stakeholders' meeting, stressing that it was necessary to address existential challenges confronting the party and chart a way forward.
Despite the Abure faction’s opposition, the Umuahia meeting reiterated its confidence in Mr. Obi’s leadership, urging party members to support the caretaker committee in fulfilling its mandate. The meeting also resolved that all party members with legal cases against the Labour Party should withdraw their lawsuits in the interest of party unity.
As the Labour Party battles this deepening internal crisis, the future of the third-largest political force in Nigeria remains uncertain. The formation of the caretaker committee, while supported by some stakeholders, has further polarized the party, raising questions about its cohesion and long-term stability.
