The Labour Party (LP) is currently holding its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, amid lingering controversy over the recent Supreme Court judgment on the party’s national leadership.
The high-level meeting, which is taking place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, is being chaired by former Finance Minister Nenadi Usman and has drawn key figures from the party’s leadership across the country.
Notable attendees include the LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed. Also present is the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, alongside several senators and members of the House of Representatives affiliated with the party.
Governorship candidates of the party for the upcoming elections in Edo and Imo States, Olumide Akpata and Athan Achonu respectively, are also in attendance.
In her opening remarks, the Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee noted that the NEC would be reviewing the recently conducted governorship primaries in Anambra State and would communicate its official position in due course. The primaries, which were held in Awka on Saturday, saw Chief George Moghalu, a former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, emerge as the LP’s candidate for the upcoming governorship election scheduled for November 8, 2025.
This primary election was the last conducted under the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee, which has been at the center of the legal battle over LP’s national leadership.
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision delivered by a five-member panel, recently set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal that had recognized Abure as the National Chairman of the party. The apex court held that the appellate court lacked jurisdiction to decide on the matter, as it concerned an internal leadership dispute within the party — a domain courts have consistently ruled to be beyond judicial intervention.
The court also stated that Abure’s tenure had expired and upheld an appeal filed by Senator Esther Usman and one other party member, deeming it meritorious. Conversely, it dismissed a cross-appeal filed by the Abure faction for lack of merit.
The NEC meeting is expected to address the implications of the Supreme Court judgment and chart a path forward for the party’s leadership structure and upcoming elections.
