Fresh tension erupted within Nigeria’s Labour Party (LP) on Tuesday night as the faction loyal to former National Chairman Julius Abure announced it had “reclaimed” control of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, fueling a bitter crisis with the rival group led by Senator Nenadi Usman.
In a statement issued by the Abure faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the leadership claimed that the party’s headquarters — previously taken over by the Usman-led caretaker committee — was repossessed after determining that the earlier takeover was “illegal and unauthorised.”
Ifoh asserted, “The Julius Abure-led leadership of the Labour Party has recovered the party’s national secretariat illegally occupied by … Nenadi Usman’s group earlier today.” He added that the faction plans to document losses alleged to have occurred during the takeover and file legal action.
The declaration comes just a day after the Usman camp assumed control of the party’s Utako headquarters following a Federal High Court decision that affirmed the caretaker committee’s leadership and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise its executives.
Reacting sharply, Senator Nenadi Usman — through her Senior Special Adviser on Media — described the Abure faction’s action as a disregard for a valid court judgment. “There is a court judgment in place that says Abure has ceased to be the national chairman … Now, someone has just gone there to take the law into his hands,” she said, questioning the legality of the midnight move.
The Usman camp’s takeover on Tuesday had drawn a heavy security presence, with armed policemen stationed at the secretariat and the Abure faction’s banners replaced with those of the caretaker committee.
The infighting underscores the deepening leadership crisis within the Labour Party, which has seen parallel claims to authority and continuous legal battles since the 2023 general elections. While the Abure faction insists on appealing the court’s rulings, Usman’s group maintains that its control is legally sound and necessary for the party’s stability ahead of future political contests.
Political watchers have noted that unless the warring camps find a way to reconcile their differences, the ongoing struggle could hinder the party’s ability to present a united front in upcoming elections.
