The Labour Party Caretaker Committee, led by Senator Nenadi Usman, has failed in its attempt to gain official recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the legitimate national executives of the party.
The committee, which was inaugurated on September 6 during a stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and endorsed by former Labour Party Presidential candidate Peter Obi, sought to replace the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC).
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The Nenadi Usman faction had approached INEC, requesting formal recognition, arguing that the tenure of the Abure-led NWC had expired.
However, INEC declined to act on the request, citing constitutional issues and procedural irregularities in the process followed by the Usman-led group.
A member of the caretaker committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that INEC rejected the first letter of recognition because it contained a signature from a representative of Peter Obi, which the commission refused to accept, insisting that no proxy endorsements would be allowed.
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Despite resubmitting the letter with the correct signatures, INEC still did not respond, leaving the committee in limbo.
The source further disclosed that the committee sought legal intervention from an Aba High Court, requesting an injunction to prevent the Abure-led NWC from continuing to operate as the party’s executives.
However, the court denied their request, insisting that the case needed to go through an interlocutory process.
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When the matter was brought up for hearing on Tuesday, the judge refused to proceed, returning the case to the Chief Judge of Abia State for reassignment.
The failure of the Aba court to rule in their favor reportedly frustrated the plans of the Usman-led faction, which had been prepared to roll out its leadership pending a favorable court ruling.
Instead, the group was advised to await the outcome of a related case currently before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Despite these setbacks, the Nenadi Usman committee remains determined, but their ambitions have been hindered by INEC’s strict adherence to the Labour Party’s constitution.
The committee, which was given a 90-day mandate to organize ward, local government, and state congresses, as well as a national convention, has yet to gain the necessary legal and institutional support to proceed with its objectives.
Labour Party National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, dismissed the caretaker committee’s legitimacy, describing its members as “destabilizing agents” attempting to disrupt the party’s operations.
Ifoh affirmed that the Labour Party remains intact under its current leadership and that any actions outside the party’s constitution would not be tolerated.
“Our party is governed by a constitution, and we will not allow outsiders to displace those who built this party. Some of these individuals have only been in the party for a short time, and they are already trying to position themselves for control. Their efforts are unconstitutional and will not be accepted,” Ifoh stated.
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