Labour Party leadership faces a fierce internal struggle as Senator Nenadi Usman faction submits 34-member INWC list to INEC, escalating party tensions.
The Labour Party leadership is embroiled in a high-stakes internal battle following the formal submission of a 34-member Interim National Working Committee (INWC) list by the faction led by Senator Nenadi Usman.
The move represents a decisive escalation in a factional dispute that has split the party since mid-2025, placing members, stakeholders, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the center of a politically complex scenario.
The Usman faction submitted its comprehensive INWC list to INEC on November 28, 2025, with Senator Usman signing as Interim National Chairman and Darlington Nwokocha as Interim National Secretary.
The commission officially acknowledged receipt, signalling the submission’s seriousness and the faction’s push for legal recognition.
In the accompanying cover letter, the faction stressed that its authority to constitute the interim leadership is rooted in both the Labour Party constitution and the National Executive Council (NEC) resolution of July 18, 2025.
The letter urged INEC to recognise the names on the INWC list as the legitimate and authorised representation of the Labour Party leadership, highlighting that the NEC explicitly empowered the faction to form the party’s interim national structure.
Senator Usman stated: “We are pleased to forward the names and designations of the reconstituted members of the Interim National Leadership in line with the Labour Party constitution and the statutory NEC resolutions of July 18, 2025, already acknowledged by the commission on July 21, 2025.”
She further stressed that the NEC authorised the faction to “constitute the full body of the interim national leadership in accordance with Article 13 of the Labour Party constitution,” urging INEC to take legal and official notice.
This submission explicitly supersedes previous lists, including an abridged version submitted in August 2025 and the list forwarded by the rival Julius Abure faction.
By submitting the updated INWC list, the Usman faction aims to consolidate control and assert that it represents the only constitutionally valid Labour Party leadership.
The timing of the submission was particularly significant, occurring just a day after Abure convened a separate NEC meeting attended by INEC officials and former vice-presidential candidate Datti Baba-Ahmed.
At that meeting, Abure reaffirmed himself as National Chairman, highlighting the ongoing factional dispute and the challenges facing the Labour Party leadership.
Support for the Usman-Nwokocha faction includes prominent party figures such as Abia State Governor Alex Otti and former 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Their backing reinforces the faction’s claim to legitimacy and demonstrates broad support from influential party stakeholders.
The newly submitted INWC list includes key positions such as Deputy National Chairman (TUC) Mohammed Misau, Deputy National Chairman (Female) Mrs. Nike Oriola, and Deputy National Chairman (NLC) Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, alongside other senior officials.
This diverse composition reflects efforts to ensure gender balance and regional representation within the Labour Party leadership.
Political analysts note that the Labour Party is at a critical crossroads. With competing INWC lists submitted and both factions asserting authority, the party faces ongoing internal instability.
INEC’s submission recognition will play a decisive role in determining which faction assumes official control and access to party symbols and electoral machinery.
The Labour Party leadership crisis carries implications beyond internal politics. As a party known for promoting democratic reforms, the ongoing dispute could weaken its public credibility and influence in upcoming elections.
Both factions are acutely aware that their contest for recognition could shape the party’s performance on a national stage.
Despite uncertainties, the Usman-led faction maintains that its submission represents the lawful and constitutionally mandated Labour Party leadership.
By formally notifying INEC, the faction seeks official recognition to stabilise the party and allow it to operate effectively within Nigeria’s political landscape.
With the Labour Party leadership now at the center of a factional showdown, party members and supporters await INEC’s decision, which is expected to determine the faction recognised as the legitimate custodian of the party’s national leadership.
The resolution will have long-term effects on the party’s structure, cohesion, and electoral prospects.
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