Connect with us

Politics

Crisis hits Obi’s LP faction as BoT sacks NWC

Published

on

Spread the love

A fresh leadership crisis has erupted in the Labour Party, deepening the rift within the camp aligned with former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, following the sack of the Senator Nenadi Usman–led interim National Working Committee by the party’s Board of Trustees and a quorum of the statutory National Executive Council.

The dissolution of the iNWC was disclosed in a leaked statement jointly signed by the party’s BoT Chairman, S.O. Ejiofor, and Secretary, Salisu Mohammed, respectively, dated December 2, 2025.

Ejiofor insisted that the decision was taken after months of “gross incompetence,” failure to organise congresses, and alleged acts capable of plunging the party into “irreparable oblivion” ahead of the 2027 general elections.

As part of the shake-up, the party leadership reappointed Prince Tony Akeni as acting National Publicity Secretary and Nwauwa Nnawuihie as acting National Secretary, pending the constitution of a fresh interim National Working Committee in line with the party’s constitution.

“The Board of Trustees and statutory National Executive Council quorum of the Labour Party of Nigeria stand by the dissolution of the Senator Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha-led interim National Working Committee of the party as officially communicated to the dissolved committee in the party’s letter of December 3, 2025,” he said.

The statement traced the crisis to the September 4, 2024 appointment of the Nenadi committee in Umuahia, Abia State, with a 90-day mandate to conduct nationwide state congresses and a national convention in line with a 2018 consent judgment and an INEC-brokered settlement.

According to the party, the committee not only failed to meet the deadline but also failed to deliver after an additional 90-day extension granted on July 18, 2025, which expired on October 17, 2025 “without even a single ward congress achieved throughout the country.”

The leadership further accused the dissolved iNWC of presiding over a period in which the Labour Party was excluded by INEC from local government elections, by-elections and upcoming polls, leading to mass defections and organisational paralysis.

“During the same period under the sleepwalking leadership of the Usman-led committee, LP was brazenly excluded by INEC from participating in all local council elections, state and National Assembly by-elections throughout Nigeria during the outgoing year 2025,” the statement added.

However, the factional chairman swiftly rejected the dissolution, setting the stage for a renewed legal and political battle.

Reacting, Usman’s media aide, Ken Asogwa, dismissed the BoT action as unconstitutional and legally untenable.

“Dissolved by who? The BoT or the NLC? With all your experience covering political parties, have you seen where BoT dissolved a constituted National Working Committee of a political party before?” Asogwa asked.

He insisted that only the NEC and a National Convention have the powers to dissolve a National Working Committee.

“The only two organs of a political party, including the Labour Party, that have the capacity to dissolve a National Working Committee are the NEC and the National Convention,”he argued.

Asogwa also questioned the legitimacy of the letters announcing and retracting the dissolution, saying, “That is assuming without conceding that it’s coming from the BoT because there are two contradictory letters here.”

On claims that the crisis could be resolved internally, he said, “There’s nothing to resolve here. The people we have problems with are Julius Abure and his camp and the Supreme Court has finally resolved that matter in our favour.”

He maintained that Nenadi remains the authentic national chairman of the party.

“So, Nenadi remains the National Chairman of the Labour Party by reason of the NEC appointment and the Supreme Court judgment,” he said.

Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, dismissed the existence of factions and ridiculed the authority of the BoT behind the dissolution.

“My initial response is that you can’t place something on nothing. But in truth, we don’t have any faction,” Ifoh said, adding that the so-called BoT “has not been constituted” by the party.

“What you see playing out is the BoT that belongs to the Nigeria Labour Congress. The NLC has become a government organisation that now appoints a BoT for a political party,” he said.

When asked to respond to allegations that Abure loyalists had infiltrated and fuelled the crisis, Ifoh fired back:“How do we infiltrate them? Do we have the money that they have? The Labour Party is intact. We have only one leader.”

He added: “These guys (Nenadi and members of the BoT) are just distractions. So, we really do not have their time. They are amusing themselves and bastardising what democracy stands for.”

The factional spokesman described the latest development as vindication of their long-held position that the Nenadi-led arrangement was illegal and unsustainable, mocking the unfolding crisis as proof that the party’s troubles were self-inflicted.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Politics

I’m in talks with NDC, PRP leaders over my political future — Kwankwaso

Published

on

Spread the love

Former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso has said no final decision has been taken regarding his political future or that of his associates.

The African Democratic Congress chieftain, however, admitted that he is currently consulting with leaders of the National Democratic Congress and the Peoples Redemption Party.

Kwankwaso made this known in a statement shared on his X account on Saturday.

He wrote, “We have noted recent media reports and discussions suggesting a possible realignment within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) due to the current challenges facing the party.

“In light of the misleading narratives in the public domain, I wish to state categorically that no final decision has been taken regarding my political future or that of my political associates.”

He noted that the recent Supreme Court’s judgment affirmed the legitimacy of the David Mark-led National Working Committee but returned aspects of the matter to the high court, leaving the party in a difficult position.

“The recent Supreme Court judgment, while affirming the legitimacy of the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC), also remitted the matter back to the High Court. This has left the party in a precarious position,” he said.

According to him, a separate ruling by the Federal High Court had also invalidated the party’s recent convention, while the Attorney General of the Federation had applied for the deregistration of the ADC.

Kwankwaso said the challenges mirrored the legal issues that earlier forced him and his supporters out of the New Nigeria Peoples Party.

“In addition, the Federal High Court has recently ruled to delegitimise the party’s recent convention. The Attorney General of the Federation has also strangely applied to a Federal High Court to deregister the ADC.

“We left the NNPP due to externally influenced legal problems that made our stay perilous. The ADC has now been also forced into this difficulty,” he added.

He disclosed that consultations had begun with leaders of the National Democratic Congress, Peoples Redemption Party and others to determine the best path forward.

“Consequently, like other major stakeholders, we have commenced wide-ranging consultations — including with leaders from the NDC, PRP and others to explore the best options for protecting our democratic interests. We shall announce our decision in the soonest possible time,” he added.

On the 2027 presidential race, Kwankwaso said he had neither declared interest in contesting nor endorsed any aspirant.

He recalled finishing second in the 2014 APC presidential primary won by Muhammadu Buhari, and later supporting the winner. He also said he contested the 2019 PDP presidential primary before backing Atiku Abubakar.

He said, “On the issue of presidential candidacy, I wish to recall my consistent record as a committed democrat. In the 2014 APC presidential primary, I came second to President Muhammadu Buhari (whom I fully supported to victory), with Atiku Abubakar third, Rochas Okorocha fourth, and the late Sam Nda-Isaiah fifth.

“Similarly, in 2019, I contested the PDP presidential ticket and immediately supported the winner, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, serving as the campaign’s coordinator in the North. I have always placed national interest and party unity above personal ambition.”

Kwankwaso added that the ADC had yet to zone its presidential ticket or choose a candidate, making current speculation unfounded.

He also explained that his absence from two recent ADC stakeholders’ meetings was due to unavoidable personal commitments, which he had communicated to party leaders.

“Furthermore, the ADC is yet to zone its presidential ticket or take any decision on a candidate. I have therefore neither declared any intention to run for president nor endorsed any aspirant. All speculations to the contrary are premature and unfounded.

“My absence from the two recent ADC stakeholders’ meetings was due to unavoidable personal commitments. I promptly communicated my apologies to the party leadership.

“We shall continue to engage constructively at all levels. Any definitive position on our political direction will be communicated formally through official channels at the appropriate time,” he said.

Continue Reading

Politics

Workers’ Day: ADC criticises rising living costs

Published

on

Spread the love

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed concern over the rising cost of living in Nigeria, saying it is placing increasing pressure on workers and affecting real incomes.

In a Workers’ Day statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said many Nigerians are facing economic strain as prices of essential goods and services continue to rise.

“Across Nigeria today, workers are doing more and earning less. Rising costs of food, transport, housing, and energy have reduced the value of workers’ wages,” the statement said.

The party linked the situation to broader economic and security challenges, noting that inflation, limited job opportunities, and disruptions to business activities are contributing to the pressure on households.

According to the ADC, addressing these challenges requires policies that support job creation, improve security, and stabilise prices to protect workers’ purchasing power.

The party emphasised the need for an economic framework that promotes enterprise, encourages productivity, and ensures that workers are adequately rewarded for their labour.

It also called for sustained interventions to ease the burden on citizens, particularly in areas affecting daily living costs.

“The focus should be on building an economy that works for ordinary Nigerians, where productivity translates into improved livelihoods,” the statement added.

The ADC reiterated its position that workers’ welfare should remain a priority, stressing the importance of policies that enhance income stability and economic opportunity.

 

Continue Reading

Politics

Buhari’s son gets automatic APC ticket to seek Reps seat

Published

on

Spread the love

Yusuf Buhari, son of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has picked the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket to contest for the Daura/Sandamu/Mai’adua Federal Constituency seat in the 2027 elections.

Our correspondent  reports that Yusuf picked the ticket unopposed after a stakeholders’ meeting held in Katsina on Tuesday, April 28, unanimously adopted him as the party’s candidate.

The consensus agreement was announced by the chairman of the Consensus Committee for Daura Zone, Alhaji Ahmed Dangiwa, a former minister of housing and urban development.

Speaking after Yusuf’s adoption, Mannir Musa, APC Chairman, Mai’adua Local Government, urged party members to accept the outcome in good faith.

“I urge all our people to be obedient and accept the consensus reached by the committee and stakeholders in good faith. We should all work together for the unity and progress of the party and our people,” he said.

He also appealed to Katsina governor Dikko Radda to support aspirants who did not get tickets so that they could continue to serve their people.

Musa urged aspirants offered the tickets through consensus to work for their constituents when elected in the secondary election.

He named other automatic candidates to include Nasir Yahaya for the Daura senatorial seat race and Mustapha Musa for the Mai’adua constituency in the Katsina State House of Assembly.

Yusuf Buhari, in a remark, thanked party members for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to provide quality representation if elected. (NAN)

Continue Reading

Trending