The Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the last general election, Mr Peter Obi, and the Governor of Abia State, Mr Alex Otti, have written to the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, to formally notify the regulatory body of the creation of a 29-member caretaker committee tasked with organising the party’s congresses and national convention within 180 days.

In the letter, dated 6 September 2024 and signed by both Obi and Otti, the LP leaders also informed the INEC chairman of the ongoing leadership crisis within the party. The letter introduced the 29-member committee, which had been established during an expanded stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia, Abia State, on 4 September 2024.

The letter read: “You will recall that the Labour Party has experienced a leadership crisis in recent times, which culminated in the de-recognition of the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) by INEC as of June 2024. This follows the settlement brokered by INEC on 27 June 2022.”

The settlement referenced was based on a consent court judgement by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on 20 March 2018. A key aspect of the agreement stipulated that an all-inclusive national convention, preceded by ward, local government, and state congresses, should be convened no later than one year after the settlement’s terms were signed.

Due to the 2023 general election, however, the implementation of the agreement was delayed by one year until 2024.

By March 2024, the Abure-led NWC convened a convention in Nnewi but failed to first organise the requisite ward, local government, and state congresses, contrary to the settlement’s terms. This led to a leadership vacuum, with the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) membership dwindling to less than ten members.

The letter explained that given the leadership void, statutory executives of the party, including the governor, deputy governor, legislators, remaining NEC members, and other stakeholders, met in Umuahia and resolved to establish a caretaker committee to oversee the organisation of the party’s congresses and national convention within 180 days.

Senators Nenadi Usman and Darlington Nwokocha were appointed as Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of the caretaker committee.

The letter also listed the committee members, representing key stakeholder groups within the party. These included representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), such as Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, and Comrade Chris Uyot.

The Senate was represented by Senators Victor Umeh, Neda Imasuen, and Ireti Kingibe, while members of the House of Representatives included Hon. Afam Ogene, Hon. Seyi Sowunmi, Hon. Sunday Umeha, Hon. Donatus Matthew, and Hon. Esosa Iyawe.

The committee also featured representatives of the party’s former governorship candidates, including Ken Pela (Delta), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Lagos), Jonathan Asake (Kaduna), and Edward Pwajok (Plateau).

State House of Assembly members represented on the committee included Hon. Edosa Richard, Hon. Harrison Oghara, Hon. Augustine Okezie, and Hon. Clinton Amadi.

Representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) included Mohammed Misau, Austin Jonah, and Sansa Omalara, while other committee members were Edwin Bafte Sajo, Nike Oshola, Aishat Madijiem, Ugoeze Caroline Onwubiko, and Dominic Essien.