Labour Party submits new leadership list to INEC

By John Alechenu

Labour Party, LP, under the leadership of Senator Nenadi Usman, has submitted a 34-member Interim National Working Committee, INWC, list to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The list, jointly signed by Usman and the interim National Secretary of the party, Darlington Nwokocha, as Interim National Chairman and Secretary respectively, dated November 27, was addressed to INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, and stamped received by the commission Friday, November 28, 2025.

In a cover letter, the Usman-led leadership cited the party’s constitution and a July 18, 2025, National Executive Council, NEC, resolution, empowering them to constitute the interim national leadership. They urged INEC to recognise the submitted names as the legitimate leadership of the Labour Party.

The move was sequel to a rival NEC meeting convened by Julius Abure on Thursday, which reaffirmed him as National Chairman.

Usman and Nwochocha’s leadership enjoy the support of Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and other stakeholders.

The fresh list, signed by Usman and Nwokocha, noted that the new names “superseded” an earlier abridged list submitted in August and the ones recently submitted by Abure to the commission.

In the cover letter, the Usman-led leadership reminded the commission that the committee arose from the “statutory NEC resolutions of Friday 18th July, 2025” and was in line with the Labour Party constitution.

“We are pleased to forward herewith the names and designations of the reconstituted members of the Interim National Leadership in line with the LP constitution and the statutory NEC resolutions of July 18, 2025 already forwarded to the commission in the party’s correspondence and acknowledged by the commission on July 21, 2025,” Usman wrote.

She added that the NEC had empowered the interim leadership to “constitute the full body of the interim national leadership in accordance with Article 13 of the Labour Party constitution.”

Senator Usman urged INEC to “take legal and official notice” of the forwarded names as the “legitimate and authentic Interim National Working Committee leadership of the Labour Party.”

Aside from Usman and Nwokocha, the 34-member list includes Deputy National Chairman (TUC) Mohammed Misau; Deputy National Chairman (Female) Mrs Nike Oriola and Deputy National Chairman (NLC), Prof Theophilus Ndubuaku.

Other members of the INWC include: Eragbe Anselem, Sarah Bago, Hajia Aishat Madije, Hamisu San Turaki, Ife Salako, Chinelo Oforche, Eric Ifere, Edwin Bafteng, Gloria George-Omunu, Joseph Ndirang, Aminu Kanya, Prof Austin Akubue, Mrs Martina Umana and Femi Kehinde, among others.

The submission of the list came barely 24 hours after another camp of the party, led by the National Chairman, Julius Abure, held a fresh NEC meeting in Abuja attended by INEC officials and former vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed.