There was a heavy security presence on Tuesday at the national secretariat of the Labour Party in Abuja as the acting National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, took over the headquarters from the Julius Abure-led faction.
Usman confirmed the development in a phone interview through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa.
When our correspondent visited the party’s national secretariat in Utako, Abuja, gun-toting and stern-looking policemen were stationed within and around the premises.
All Labour Party banners and giant billboards bearing the faces of Abure and his executives within the premises have been replaced with those of Usman.
Party supporters, members, and journalists were subjected to strict security screening and asked to properly identify themselves before gaining access to the secretariat.
Sources within the party said the new leadership had also directed members to begin preparations to take over other Labour Party state secretariats across the country.
When contacted to confirm whether the Otti-backed faction had fully taken over the national secretariat, Usman said the move was long overdue.
She said, “Yes, the police mounting guard at the national secretariat were invited by our people. They are there to perform their duties as per the court’s judgment. We are doing this together with the NLC.
“We only wrote to the police to provide cover for us this morning. So, the police are there for us.”
Asked if her camp was prepared for possible resistance from the Abure faction, Usman ruled out any confrontation.
“There can’t be any confrontation from Abure. On what leg or basis is he standing to confront anybody? The same Abure you are talking about has since moved all his belongings from that office after the judgment.
“Since we started the agitation to take over the party secretariat, our name has not been on the INEC portal. There has never been a clear court directive by any court in Nigeria until now that Nenadi has been fully recognised as the national chairman.
“Now, the situation doesn’t give room for anybody to hang around again and be saying, ‘I am a factional this or that.’ No, not anymore. We are officially taking over the party this morning.
“I can assure you there won’t be violence or confrontation as you feared. For the police to even agree to come, you can understand that the game has changed. Before, if you wrote to the police, they would pretend like they didn’t see it,” she noted.
Shortly after the interview, the party’s interim leadership sent out a press invitation to journalists to witness the official takeover of the national secretariat by 11 a.m.
The terse statement read: “Media Invitation. The Labour Party Interim Leadership, led by Senator Nenadi Usman, invites you to the handing-over ceremony of the Progress Report on Membership Revalidation and Registration to the National Leadership of the Party, as well as the occasion of the taking over of the Party’s National Secretary position at Utako, Abuja. You’re invited to witness the events.”
Reacting, the factional National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the Abure-led faction would respond officially.
“It is strange to hear the police sealed up our secretariat despite knowing we have appealed the case. Their defence is that they have a court order to seal up the place.
“We will make our position on this issue known very soon.”
Last month, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Abure’s tenure as National Chairman of the Labour Party had elapsed and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the caretaker committee led by Usman pending the conduct of a national convention.
The judgment followed prolonged internal disputes, court cases, and parallel leadership claims that intensified after the 2023 general elections.
While the Otti-backed faction welcomed the ruling, it called for restraint and reconciliation within the party.
Abure rejected the judgment and vowed to appeal, warning INEC not to side with the Otti faction.
INEC later recognised Usman as the acting National Chairman of the party, citing a court order directing it to acknowledge the caretaker committee.
Two weeks ago, Abure’s name was replaced with Usman’s on INEC’s website.
Other officials listed include Senator Darlington Nwokocha as National Secretary; Hamisu Santuraki, National Treasurer; Aisha Madije, National Financial Secretary; and Eric Ifere, National Legal Adviser.
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has expressed confidence that he will complete his eight-year tenure in office.
Otti stated this on Tuesday in his office while receiving members of the Old Students Association of the Federal School of Arts and Science, Aba, who visited him and expressed confidence that he would be re-elected to complete his projects in the state.
The governor said, “About 2027, we don’t let it distract us, but you have a point. Primaries will happen within the month and then elections will be next year. But we know that Abia people are not stupid.
“They know what is good for them. Because of that, we also know that it’s all about politics. And I’m not too sure that there is someone that would want to throw away what is good.
“This place is God’s own state. So, at the time that it pleased God, He makes changes here. And God doesn’t have unfinished business, or unfinished project.
“So, we are confident that we will complete the project that we have been asked to do by Abians.”
Otti commended the old students for their decision to renovate one of the hostels in their alma mater, describing the move as laudable.
“I want to also thank you for your decision to fix one of the hostels. It is a very laudable action that you have done, because you could have as well ignored it. I’m sure there are a lot of members of your school that may not even be coming for these meetings.
“So, I want to congratulate you and encourage you to continue, because your story cannot be told without this school,” Otti said.
The governor thanked the association for choosing Abia for its bi-annual meeting, noting that the decision was commendable.
He also disclosed that his decision to support Professor Bart Nnaji’s Aba Power project was to ensure steady power supply in the state, commending Nnaji’s resilience.
Otti said an agreement had been signed and that the state was at the point of payment to acquire the Umuahia ring-fenced area of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, adding that when completed, the remaining eight local government areas, including Umuahia and its environs, as well as Abia North Senatorial District, would be linked to Geometric Power.
“So, there’s excess power. Of course, with an additional turbine, it will be able to generate 188 megawatts. So, the whole idea is to take excess power from Aba to the other eight local governments in Abia Central and Abia North.
“We’ve also set up the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency. And so right now, everything about regulation is within the state. So, we will be detached from the national electricity grid,” Otti said.
Earlier, the President of the Old Students Association of the Federal School of Arts and Science, Aba, Tony Ejieji, commended the governor’s performance, noting that members were in the state for their bi-annual meeting.
He said the state had become peaceful and safe, hence their decision to host the meeting there, which had previously been held in Lagos.
Ejieji also praised the governor’s infrastructural projects across the state and urged him to sustain the momentum.
He added that members of the association were renovating one of the hostels in their alma mater and commended developments at the Geometric Power Plant in Aba and other projects in Aba and Umuahia.
The meeting was attended by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education and other government officials.
A former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Tuesday met with the Kano State Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Hussaini Mairiga, in a move to resolve the lingering crisis within the party.
Mairiga confirmed the meeting in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday, noting that it involved key stakeholders of the party at the state level.
According to him, the engagement was aimed at addressing disagreements over the party’s structure and leadership in Kano State.
Following the meeting, Mairiga, in a statement, announced that the crisis had been resolved and expressed support for Kwankwaso’s leadership.
He said, “We had a fruitful discussion with Sen. Kwankwaso and other critical stakeholders of our great party. All lingering issues have been amicably resolved in the interest of unity and progress.
“As a party, we have agreed to move forward together, and we recognise Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as our leader in Kano State.”
Mairiga further urged party members to remain calm and committed to the ideals of the NDC, stressing that unity was key to achieving success in future elections.
“I call on all our members to remain steadfast and work collectively for the growth of the party. This resolution marks a new beginning for the NDC in Kano,” he added.
The development follows days of tension within the Kano chapter of the party after Kwankwaso’s defection to the NDC alongside Peter Obi, a move that sparked concerns over control of the party structure.
The crisis deepened after the state chairman had earlier rejected alleged moves to cede leadership of the party to the former governor, insisting that the existing executives would not surrender control.
He had also disclosed that attempts to integrate Kwankwaso into the party initially stalled due to disagreements over leadership arrangements, with both sides holding separate meetings that failed to produce a consensus.
The situation further escalated amid claims that the party’s planned state congress was suspended, fuelling suspicions among some members over possible moves to restructure the party leadership in Kano.
Fresh cracks have emerged within Nigeria’s opposition bloc ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with deep divisions over the push for a single consensus candidate following the defection of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso to the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
Associates of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said on Monday that plans by a broad opposition coalition to rally behind a consensus presidential candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027 remain intact, despite recent political realignments.
(L-R) Aisha Binani, Peter Obi, Seriake Dickson and Rabiu Kwankwaso at the meeting on Sunday. Photo Credit: X / Seriake Dickson
They also dismissed concerns that the exit of Obi and Kwankwaso from the African Democratic Congress would weaken the opposition’s chances, insisting the coalition project is still viable.
Atiku, who resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party on the eve of his 79th birthday in 2025, had moved to the ADC as part of a broader strategy to unite opposition forces.
Obi and Kwankwaso — presidential candidates of the Labour Party and the New Nigeria People’s Party in 2023 —later joined him in the party in 2026.
However, political intrigues have since forced both men out of the ADC, leaving Atiku increasingly isolated within the coalition framework.
Speaking with The PUNCH in confidence, an ally of Atiku who declined to be named said, “It would have been better he gets the ticket first before we talk about whether he is committed to a single term of four years or not. For me, this is too early.”
A long-serving member of Atiku’s camp also rejected the idea of a single-term presidency, describing it as premature and distracting.
“This is like putting the cart before the horse. Atiku is presently interested in the growth and supremacy of the party, the ADC. Without the party, no individual ambition will survive. Talks such as the single term tenure, are mere distractions,” the source said.
Waxing philosophical, he likened the ADC to a moving train that would continue to attract new entrants despite recent exits.
“The party has to grow first and become formidable. The party is like a train. At some point, passengers will alert and others will get in. Obi and Kwankwaso have decided to get off the train but that has not stopped others from getting in. The destination is the 2027 election.
“Obi and Kwankwaso were not forced off the train. They got off themselves,” he added, noting that the coalition plan to unseat Tinubu remains alive.
“For us, nothing has changed. The coalition idea is still relevant today,” he said.
But key opposition figures and parties have distanced themselves from the single-candidate proposal, exposing widening fault lines.
Reacting, the National Leader of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, said the issue was not yet ripe for discussion.
He said, “We are not ready to discuss anything on the opposition fielding a single presidential candidate for tne 2027 election for now. When the right is right, the media will be one of the first to know about it.”
Similarly, National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, stressed that while opposition parties remain open to alliances, their primary goal is to unseat the current administration.
“When we know who is in the team, we will devise ways in which we can either on our own or together collaborate. The key issue, the only goal in mind of the opposition, all of them, is to change this administration because it needs to go. Nigeria cannot survive another four years under this administration.
“Whatever we have to do legally, whatever we have to do to win this election either as a party or an alliance of parties, we will do. We will do it not because we want to take up offices but because we have to salvage this country and we’re very serious about this.
“So we are willing to enter into any arrangement that reinforces the strength of the opposition and so that we can change this government and make sure that President Tinubu and his government don’t come back and destroy this country,” he stated.
The Accord Party has also rejected claims linking it to any coalition plan for a single presidential candidate, distancing itself from a recent Ibadan summit where such discussions reportedly took place.
Meanwhile, a faction of the ADC led by Nafiu Bala Gombe similarly disowned the choice of a consensus presidential candidate, insisting the party would pursue an independent path.
“We are not in support of it and we as the Authentic members of the African Democratic Congress. So whatever resolution was taken in that place, we are not in support of it.
“The ADC is an existing party. It doesn’t exist yesterday, the day before yesterday, last week or last month. ADC has been in existence for almost 20 years now. We are fielding a candidate, and Inshallah, all the elective offices at all levels will support it.
“In my view, the Ibadan Summit can best be described as the reunion of former members of Peoples Democratic Party, aligning with aggrieved or disgruntled individuals who have been ignored from the party.
“So, for the record, I want to assure you that the African Democratic Congress was not involved in the summit, and should not be linked to any outcome or resolution coming from that summit. I understand.”
Labour Party also dismissed talks of a joint presidential ticket, saying the party has other plans.
“As it stands today, we are focused on getting substantive leadership for Labour party in our next convention.
“That is the position of the party for now. If there is a need for us in future to be in coalition with other political parties, we will inform Nigerians,” LP Spokesman, Ken Asogwa told our correspondent.
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, echoed the same position.
He said, “Unfortunately, we are not part of that arrangement. We are hold our national convention. So, we are not bound by whatever happened at that summit.”
Despite the divisions, loyalists of Obi and Kwankwaso are pushing for a unified opposition ticket to emerge from the South, intensifying debates over zoning and coalition strategy.
The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, and the National Publicity Secretary of the Obi–Kwankwaso Movement, Justin Ijeh, argued that equity demands the presidency remain in the South.
Tanko said, “Yes, we are concerned about the zoning. That was why we’ve been asking for the presidency to be zoned to the southern part of this country considering the simple fact that the presidency has been zoned to the south.
“As you speak right now, what we have is a southern presidency. So once you have a southern president, it simply means that even if there is going to be a replacement for the existing president, it should come from the south for them to complete their tenure.
“I think it is only fair to do that. And that was why Mr Peter Obi has also agreed that he’s going to do only four years.”
He added that Obi would likely emerge as consensus candidate if adopted.
“Oh of course. That is because he’s the most popular candidate in the country at the moment. I’m being humble about it and I thank God for it. He’s the most popular especially among the youth. Anywhere he goes, he is adored.
“Let me give you an instance. We were on our way to Ibadan the other day and we passed through the international and local airport. You need to see the kind of love and euphoria people showered on him. It was amazing.
“The whole hall was agog with Nigerians shouting ‘Obi, Obi, Obi.’ It was so emotional for him and for some of us who are following him. So that is to tell you the kind of love and support Nigerians are ready to give this man,” he noted.
Ijeh also defended zoning as a pragmatic tool for national balance.
“While it is not embedded in the Nigerian constitution, and while competence and character are the gold standard for leadership ideally, zoning is a pragmatic approach to balanced representation and equity in a multipolar society like Nigeria.
“It has been practiced as a convention since the return of democratic rule. Certain politicians however may choose to play to the gallery about it when their personal interests and ambitions are not favoured by it.
“In the current calculus for Nigeria given our very recent political trajectory, it only makes sense for the zoning principle to be applied and for the presidency to remain in the South, in keeping with that convention. Anything else sets the country up for divisive complications in the near term future and nobody needs that.”
The latest controversy follows the formal defection of Obi and Kwankwaso to the NDC in Abuja, where both leaders urged party members to avoid internal litigations and focus on national development.
Obi, addressing supporters, said their move was driven by the search for a stable political platform free from internal crises, accusing the current administration of fuelling divisions within opposition parties.
Their exit from the ADC has since reshaped opposition dynamics, triggering fresh debates over coalition strategy, zoning, and the possibility—or feasibility—of presenting a single presidential candidate against Tinubu in 2027.
