A new internal dispute has arisen within the Labour Party (LP) as Senator Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha, who lead the Caretaker National Working Committee, have petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop recognizing Julius Abure and Umar Farouk as the party’s leaders.
In a statement issued on Friday, the faction said it had written to INEC requesting the removal of both names from the commission’s portal, insisting that their tenure ended in June 2024. The group argued that recent court judgments had affirmed its position and urged the electoral body to comply.
According to the statement, the group referenced the Supreme Court judgment of April 4, 2025, and a Federal High Court ruling delivered on August 15, 2025, claiming both decisions invalidated the LP national convention held in March 2024 and recognised Usman and Nwokocha as acting national chairman and secretary, respectively.
While urging party members to disregard the congress guidelines recently circulated by Abure, the Usman-led group said preparations had begun for fresh congresses and a national convention expected to be held within 90 days, in line with the party’s constitution.
It further announced that new interim national and state working committee lists had been forwarded to INEC for acknowledgement, while membership registration and nationwide congresses would commence shortly.
The statement added that the group’s petition to the electoral commission included a demand for a public clarification on the leadership question, stressing the need for what it called “full compliance” with existing court rulings.
