LP crisis: APC moles have taken over INC, scribe cries out

…As fate of congresses, convention hangs in the balance
By John Alechenu
Abuja – Labour Party’s Interim National Committee (INC) under the leadership of Senators Nenadi Usman and Darlington Nwochocha, has sounded the alarm over an alleged attempt by supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to take over its structure.

The party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Toni Akeni, made the claim in a leaked memo, expressing frustration with the current state of the party and threatening to quit if things don’t improve.

Specifically, Akeni alleged that an unnamed APC “mole” within LP’s ranks had convinced the INC not to fund the party’s publicity directorate.

The party’s spokesperson equally expressed frustrations that the party’s interim leadership has failed to conduct ward, Local Government, State and Zonal congresses as well as a national convention, more than one year after it was given a 90-day mandate to do so.

The internal memo dated October 9th, 2025, titled: “Pre-resignation Memo”, was addressed to the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) and the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), read in part:

“Dear Council & Trustees,
Protest Against Working Conditions As Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Derailment of Labour Party Congresses and National Convention Activities Timeline.

“In view of the fact that you may be time-pressed and unable to immediately read through this full document, I provide below for your instant attention a compressed version of the document.

“The assignment given to the iNWC of our party to conduct nationwide state congresses and all-inclusive national convention commenced after its inauguration at Umuahia on September 4, 2024.

“Less than two years to the 2027 general elections, instead of the three months (90 days) original time frame given to the working committee, the exercise has now spanned 445 days, several months more than a full year.

“Yet membership registration and revalidation, which are compulsory antes to the congresses and convention, are not close to commencement, much less conclusion in the foreseeable time.

“As the interim National Publicity Secretary (iNPS) of Labour Party, I was compelled to relocate to Abuja from my Edo state family abode and abode of occupational livelihood on August 7, 2025.

“ I have since then been carrying out all assignments of the office from hotel accommodation without a penny from the Labour Party or its stakeholders except a single #10,000 token for data shared to me by Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku on September 27, 2025.

“The zero budget assertion and insistence of an unnamed iNWC member pertaining to the office of the National Publicity Secretary raises very disturbing questions and implications against my continued and effective functioning of the duties, responsibilities and expectations of the office. These include the following:

“The Nigerian press whom I have been pleading with to bear with me for months following assurances by the NWC that a proper budget for the media was underway will be compelled to assume that I have been lying to them all the time and view me as a liar who cannot be trusted.

“That would consequently leave me in the lurch and make me appear incapable of the office thrust on me.

“The fund-yourself party policy asserted by the unnamed official gives rise to several aching questions:

“Which political party’s national image maker and publicity mouthpiece in the history of Nigeria funded their party’s national publicity responsibilities solely from their private income, especially an opposition political party striving to take out and replace a gigantic, incumbent octopus dictatorship like the one presently in Nigeria?

“Assuming that Nigeria’s capital city were Maiduguri, from our National Chairman to the least member of the NWC as composed, which official would relocate to Maiduguri, pay his flights, entire accommodation, daily upkeep, meeting attendances and multi-faceted media conferences/publicity bills for even just one month, and accept that he or she is working for a responsible political party and cause?

“As I observed to the interim National Chairman Sen. Nenadi Usman in one of my several reminders to her on the subject matter on September 14, 2025, even menial wheelbarrow pushers are paid for their labour.

“How much more the cream of Nigeria capital’s elite media corps and social media networks who are giving voice, electorate awareness and rebound to our party after its locust years under its preceding Supreme Court sacked leadership?

“In view of the above, one is compelled to agree with majority NWC members that whoever made the assertion that the National Publicity Secretary should single-handedly bear the broad funding burdens of the nationwide media needs of a modern political party which is about to go into nationwide state congresses and national convention does not mean well for the party.

“Such an individual should be marked by all and sundry as a saboteur seeking to silence the voice of the Labour Party nationwide by implementing a policy that is tantamount to our party’s death sentence by silence and obliteration from public view and limelight, especially at a time the party is pathetically labouring to undertake long promised, frequently deferred congresses and national convention.

“I therefore agree with party stakeholders and functionaries who hold the view that such person or persons are proxy agents of external rival parties planted to reduce and bring the Labour Party to its knees and minimum debris before decamping to the glittering nightclub lights of the ADC or APC, hence they do not care burning down the progress of our party before their exit.

“Such person owes Labour Party faithfuls throughout Nigeria an explanation why the long-promised state congresses and national convention of our party is still far from commencement after 445 days instead of 90 days.

“Such person should also explain to Labour Party members nationwide why in spite of heart rending distress lamentations from our state chapters the Sen. Nenadi Usman council of our Labour Party, in spite of our party’s formidable institutional pedigree and multiple judgment credentials, is still not recognized by INEC and uploaded on the commission’s portals months after the new ADC coalition had achieved the same without much ado…

“ A situation which has resulted in massive daily loss of members to other political parties in every state of the federation till date.

“Such Trojan agent should also explain to Labour Party members nationwide why the new ADC coalition party is comprehensively recognized by INEC for all elections months back up to 2027 and beyond and Labour Party is not?

“Dear NEC and iNWC leaders and functionaries, I urge you to have solemn reflections of the concerns expressed above and pray God to give you the wisdom and courage to act decisively before external forces ruin our party’s standing again in 2027 through internal forces akin to the 2023 election epoch.”

When contacted, Akeni neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of the document.

A senior party official who spoke in confidence for fear of retribution clarified that the funding issue hindered the party’s ability to advertise for form purchases and congress modalities ahead of the national convention for electing new officials.

The post LP crisis: APC moles have taken over INC, scribe cries out appeared first on Vanguard News.