Disquiet in Labour Party as INEC rejects dissolution of excos; issues resolved — Usman

By John Alechenu, Abuja

There is unease within the Labour Party (LP) following the circulation of an internal memo authored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejecting the party’s replacement of the 36 state executive committees, including the FCT, with interim leaders.

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The memo, dated 16th February 2026, was in response to a notification by the Senator Nenadi Usman-led LP that it had replaced state executive committees with interim leaders.

A copy of the INEC letter sighted by Saturday Vanguard stated that the Senator Usman-led Caretaker Committee lacked the powers to dissolve existing state executive committees to replace them with interim leaders without prior notice.

The leaked INEC memo which was signed by INEC’s Secretary, Dr. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, with reference number INEC/DEPM/LP/283/IV/36 and addressed to the Caretaker Chairman, Labour Party, titled “Re: Notification of the dissolution of all State, LGA, Ward Executives and Constitution of Interim State Working Committees of the Labour Party across the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)”,   read: “Your letter on the above subject dated 6th February 2026 and received on 10th February 2026 refers.

“The commission regrets to inform you that the dissolution of State, Local Government and Ward Executives of your Party in all the 36 States and FCT by the National Executive Council (NEC) without giving the Statutory Notice of the meeting to the Commission and without the authority to act in your Party Constitution cannot be acceded to. Accept the assurances of the Commission’s high regard.”

When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the LP National Chairman, Ken Asogwa, urged the public, especially the media, to discountenance the document because the issues raised by INEC in the document had since been addressed.

Asogwa told Vanguard, “This is an old letter written since 16th February, and it is instructive to note that all the concerns raised by INEC in the said letter have been taken care of by the national leadership of the party.

“The people trying to regurgitate the old letter are some disgruntled and drowning erstwhile members of the party clutching at every available straw in their desperate last-ditch effort to cause mischief.

“The media and the general public are enjoined to disregard their antics.”

Recall that the former National Working Committee (NWC) headed by Comrade Julius Abure had, on December 2nd-6th, 2025, conducted elective state congresses where the state leaders at various levels emerged. 

However, the Supreme Court, in its judgement dated April 4th, 2025, declared that Abure’s tenure had expired long before then.

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