There was heavy security at the Labour Party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday as Senator Nenadi Usman, the acting National Chairman, formally took control from the faction led by Julius Abure.
Armed policemen were stationed around the Utako headquarters, where party banners and billboards featuring Abure were replaced with those bearing Usman’s name.
Access to the premises was tightly controlled, with supporters, members, and journalists subjected to strict screening.
Usman confirmed the takeover through her media aide, Ken Asogwa, saying: “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.”
She added that the police presence signaled a decisive shift: “For the police to even agree to come, you can understand that the game has changed.”
She dismissed the possibility of confrontation from Abure’s camp, noting that he had already vacated the office following a court ruling.
“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,” she said.
The interim leadership later issued a press invitation for journalists to witness the official handover ceremony. Meanwhile, Abure’s faction reacted through its spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, who described the development as strange, insisting that they had appealed the case.
“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,” he stated.
The takeover follows a Federal High Court ruling last month that declared Abure’s tenure expired and directed INEC to recognise Usman’s caretaker committee until a national convention is held.
INEC has since updated its portal to reflect Usman as acting National Chairman, alongside other officials including Senator Darlington Nwokocha as National Secretary.
This marks a significant escalation in the Labour Party’s internal crisis, which has persisted since the 2023 general elections.
The post Heavy security as Nenadi Usman takes over Labour Party secretariat in Abuja appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.
