Nenadi Usman-led Faction of LP Submits Leadership List to New INEC Boss, Amupitan

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Senator Nenadi Usman-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has submitted a 34-member Interim National Working Committee (INWC) list to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The list, which was jointly signed by Usman and the interim National Secretary of the party, Darlington Nwokocha, as Interim National Chairman and Secretary, respectively, and dated November 27, was addressed to INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan.It was stamped ‘received’ by the commission on Friday, November 28, 2025.

According to 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 a sequel to a rival NEC meeting convened by Julius Abure on Friday, which reaffirmed him as national chairman of the party.

Usman and Nwochocha’s leadership enjoys the support of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti; the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and other stakeholders. The list, which was signed by Usman and Nwokocha, noted that the new names “superseded” an earlier abridged list submitted in August and the ones recently submitted by Abure to the commission.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, 18 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.”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.”

Apart 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 Abure’s faction held a fresh NEC meeting in Abuja, which was monitored by INEC officials and attended by a former vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed.