During a stakeholders meeting in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, the Labour Party (LP) appointed Senator Esther Nenadi Usman as the Chairman of its Caretaker Committee.
Usman, a former Minister of Finance who represented Kaduna South in the Senate from 2011 to 2015, will lead the committee’s efforts over the next 90 days. The committee also includes Immediate-past Senate Minority Deputy Leader, Senator Darlington Nwokocha from Abia Central, who will serve as the Secretary. The committee is tasked with completing its assignment within 90 days, focusing on organizing a convention to elect new leadership from the ward to the national level.
The stakeholders meeting, convened by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and supported by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, was attended by several key party figures. These included Obi’s running mate, Datti Ahmed; Senator Victor Umeh; and the party’s governorship candidate in Lagos State, Rhodes-Vivour. Despite opposition from the current National Working Committee (NWC) led by Julius Abure, who declared the meeting illegal and unconstitutional, the event proceeded as planned.
This move is seen as a critical step towards addressing the internal conflicts and leadership disputes that have plagued the Labour Party since its national convention in March 2024. The party hopes that the caretaker committee will help in restoring stability and direction, enabling the party to regain its footing among the electorate.
