The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Comrade Julius Abure, has rejected the appointment of former Finance Minister Senator Nenadi Usman as the interim chairlady for the party. This decision, announced during an extended stakeholders meeting led by the party’s sole governor, Alex Otti of Abia State, and 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, has been met with controversy.
In a statement issued through the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, Abure labeled Usman’s appointment as “illegal,” “unconstitutional,” and a “futile enterprise.” He argued that it contradicts the outcomes of a national convention held earlier this year in Nnewi.
According to a statement from Obi’s spokesman, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, the appointment was part of efforts to address ongoing crises within the Labour Party. Yunusa described the appointment of Usman, along with a 29-member transition committee, as a strategic move to reorganize the party. The committee’s mandate includes organizing congresses and a national convention to elect new officers.
Senator Nenadi Usman, who will head the interim committee, is supported by former Senate Minority Leader Senator Darlington Nwokocha, who will act as Secretary. The meeting also included key party figures such as Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmad, Peter Obi’s running mate, and various Labour Party legislators and gubernatorial candidates.
Abure’s statement dismissed the meeting and appointment as invalid, citing that the results of the previously conducted national convention should take precedence. In contrast, the Peter Obi Media Office reported positive feedback from Labour Party members nationwide, who view the appointment as a necessary step for the party’s future.
The disagreement highlights the ongoing factional tensions within the Labour Party as it prepares for future political challenges and seeks to resolve internal disputes.
