Abure Faces Challenges as LP NEC Directs Caretaker Committee to Organize Convention
The court recently ruled that the lower courts did not have jurisdiction over the matter. It is important to note that the tenure of the Labour Party’s (LP) last duly elected National Working Committee (NWC), which took office in 2019, will conclude on June 8, 2024.
In accordance with a consent judgment facilitated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on April 26, 2022, and finalized between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the LP on June 27, 2022, the National Executive Committee (NEC) has approved a set of resolutions to stabilize and rebuild the party.
Among the key resolutions is the mandate for the caretaker committee to organize a national convention within the next 90 days. Additionally, three Deputy National Chairmen will be appointed to support Senator Nenadi Usman in leading the National Caretaker Committee (NCC). The committee also resolved to appoint three Deputy National Secretaries to assist Senator Darlington Nwokocha, the National Secretary.
The resolutions also call for the filling of all vacant positions within the National Working Committee (NWC) on an interim basis, and the creation of both standing and ad-hoc committees to facilitate congresses at various levels leading up to the national convention.
The NEC has also decided to move the party’s national headquarters to a new secretariat in Abuja, and INEC has been formally informed to decommission the previous office located at No. 2 IBM Haruna Street, Utako District, Abuja.
As part of a major mobilization campaign, the NEC has launched a nationwide effort to recruit 10 million new members within the next 30 days. The campaign includes an online registration platform offering members downloadable, uniquely numbered membership cards, with physical registration options also available. All current members will be required to revalidate their membership and pay an annual subscription fee of ₦1,200. Support groups will also be issued registration certificates with unique identifiers.
The roadmap to the 2025 elections includes plans for ward, local government, and state congresses, followed by delegate elections. These efforts are expected to culminate in what is envisioned as the most inclusive and expansive National Convention in the history of the Labour Party.
Party officials assert that the new approach is designed to strengthen internal democracy and energize the LP in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
