By Abubakar Yunusa Ojima-Ojo
The Labour Party (LP), has officially ratified and adopted its Interim National Working Committee (INWC), naming Senator Nenadi E. Usman as Interim National Chairman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha as Interim National Secretary.
The decision was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja.
The communiqué bore the signatures of key party figures, including Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti; his deputy, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu; and Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Sylvester Ejiofor.
Also signing were representatives from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), alongside other senior party officials.
Reading the communiqué, Senator Nwokocha confirmed that the ratification followed the Labour Party Constitution and the Supreme Court’s ruling of 4th April 2025. The judgement, he said, affirmed the end of Barrister Julius Abure’s tenure as national chairman.
The NEC urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to act professionally and impartially ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The NEC called on INEC and all security agencies to discharge their statutory responsibilities impartially and professionally to ensure free, fair, and credible elections in the forthcoming elections,” the communiqué stated.
The party also reviewed its plans for upcoming by-elections and the Anambra governorship poll, reaffirming its commitment to fielding credible candidates.
Governor Otti, addressing the gathering, emphasised that the party was committed to a structured transition.
“We thought we should follow the process. What we are here to do is to formally start the process of getting a new leadership for this party, in an organised and structured manner,” he said.
He explained that the process would commence from ward level, progressing through local governments, states, and zones, culminating in a national convention.
Governor Otti stressed that the current NEC, reduced to nine statutory members following the Supreme Court’s verdict, lacked the capacity to steer the party alone.
“The power conferred on us gives us authority to set up an interim national working committee. And that committee has just one job — manage this party until the convention, when a new leadership would emerge,” he said.
With the interim leadership now in place, the Labour Party has entered a transitional phase aimed at stabilising its structure ahead of the 2027 polls.
