LP crisis: Nenadi Usman remains PDP member – Abure

The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has alleged that Senator Nenadi Esther Usman, recently appointed as the chairman of the party’s caretaker committee, is still a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Abure made this claim in a statement released on Tuesday by Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the LP.

“The LP leadership has noted with concern a statement from Senator Nenadi Usman, a card-carrying member of the PDP, claiming that the intervention of some party leaders at the September 4 meeting prevented the party’s deregistration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the statement read.

Ifoh dismissed Usman’s statement as “ludicrous” and “unsubstantiated,” asserting that the LP is in good standing and fully compliant with legal requirements, thus not at risk of deregistration by INEC.

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He accused some party leaders of exploiting INEC’s incorrect stance that the tenure of the current party executives had expired. He criticised these leaders for using INEC’s position to undermine the LP’s leadership.

Ifoh declared that the Umuahia meeting was unconstitutional and illegal, as the party’s constitution does not recognise stakeholder meetings as valid party organs.

“The group that elected Senator Nenadi Usman has no legitimate foundation and cannot be recognised by INEC or any law,” Ifoh added.

Ifoh pointed out that two courts have already affirmed Abure as the rightful national chairman, and a Federal High Court in Abuja, led by Justice J.K. Omotosho, has validated the party’s March 26, 2024 national convention.

Nenadi Usman is yet to respond to the fresh allegation from the Abure-led leadership of the party.