Senator Nenadi Takes Over LP HQ as New Party Chair, Photos Emerge
- Senator Nenadi Usman has resumed at the Labour Party national secretariat in Abuja as the party’s new national chairman
- Julius Abure’s banners and billboards were removed and replaced with Nenadi’s images, signalling a shift in authority after a court judgement affirmed her leadership
- The Abure faction is said to be preparing an appeal, as the party continues to battle internal crisis and heavy defections
Legit.ng Journalist Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award winner, with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance, and accountability in Nigeria.
FCT, Abuja - Senator Nenadi Usman has resumed duties at the Labour Party (LP) National Secretariat in Abuja, taking charge as the party’s new national chairman.
Supporters and party loyalists were also seen around the secretariat as activities gradually picked up, with many describing the moment as a turning point for the party.
Source: UGC
Daily Trust correspondent who visited the secretariat early on Tuesday, February 10, observed that the premises appeared visibly rebranded, reflecting the leadership change.
Nenadi is Nigeria’s first female National Chairman of a political party.
Billboards and banners bearing the image of the former national chairman, Julius Abure, which previously dominated the complex, had been removed.
They were replaced with large portraits of Senator Usman, a development widely seen as confirmation of her authority following the recent court judgement that upheld her leadership.
Usman’s resumption comes days after the court ruling that ended the long-running leadership dispute within the Labour Party, clearing the way for her to assume full control of the party’s affairs.
Court sacks Labour Party national chairman
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked Julius Abure as the Labour Party national chairman. Justice Peter Lifu of the trial court relied his judgement on the verdict of the Supreme Court that declared Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, a former minister of finance, as the valid national chairman of the party.
At the same time, the High Court ordered that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should henceforth recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee as the only authority to represent the party till when the party holds its national convention and elects new leaders.
Abure faction pushes harder
However, the Abure faction has reportedly insisted it will challenge the judgment on appeal.
The Labour Party has, in the past year, lost about 21 lawmakers, as the party became divided between the caretaker committee led by Senator Usman and the faction loyal to Abure, with both sides locked in a fierce struggle for control.
The crisis worsened further on December 31, 2025, when the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, officially defected from the LP to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Source: UGC
Court rules against LP in FCT polls
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has upheld the exclusion of candidates of the Labour Party (LP) from the Area Council elections scheduled to hold on February 21 in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Wednesday, January 21, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2110/2025, refusing to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept or publish the party’s list of candidates for the polls.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu held that the suit filed by the Labour Party and its candidates was statute-barred, having been filed outside the mandatory 14-day period allowed by law after the cause of action arose.
FCT Senator Kingibe dumps Labour Party
Legit.ng earlier reported that Senator Ireti Kingibe, the lawmaker representing Abuja at the National Assembly, dumped the Labour Party for the ADC.
The senator, who had been at loggerheads with the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, said he dumped the party because of the internal crisis rocking the Labour Party.
Kingibe cited the case where INEC could not recognise the leadership of either faction of the party, which could affect her in the 2027 election.
Source: Legit.ng
