The National Youth Leader of the Labour Party (LP), Kennedy Ahanotu, has strongly rejected the appointment of Senator Nenadi Usman as the party’s Interim National Chairman, describing the move as unconstitutional, illegal, and in direct violation of both the party’s internal rules and the Electoral Act.

Ahanotu, a staunch ally of the Julius Abure-led faction of the party, made this known during an interview on Friday. His comments came just hours after a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting reportedly chaired by Abia State Governor, Alex Otti announced the formation of a new interim leadership, with Senator Darlington Nwokocha named as Interim National Secretary.

According to the resolutions from the NEC meeting held in Abuja, the interim committee is expected to oversee the party’s activities pending the conduct of a national convention. The committee was also mandated to organise ward, local government, state, and zonal congresses across the country.

However, Ahanotu dismissed the development as an illegitimate power grab, calling it the third failed attempt to unseat Abure by using parallel structures. “Our press statement is everywhere, and I am here to say that what they did is totally illegal and unacceptable by law. Let them show the portion of the Labour Party constitution or the Electoral Act that allows for the creation of an interim national working committee. There is none,” he declared.

He recalled previous efforts by dissenting groups to create alternate leadership frameworks including a “National Transition Committee” and a “Caretaker Committee” both of which, he said, failed due to lack of constitutional backing.

“This is the third time they are coming up with an acronym now, it’s the Interim National Working Committee. It is nowhere to be found in our documents. It’s simply another illegitimate structure,” he said.

Ahanotu also questioned Governor Otti’s involvement in presiding over national party affairs, arguing that a sitting state governor has no authority to chair the party’s NEC. “How come a governor elected on the platform of the party, who should act as a unifier, is now taking sides and chairing NEC meetings? Can he chair the Abia State Executive Council and at the same time chair the Labour Party’s NEC? It’s wrong, and Governor Alex Otti is currently under suspension,” he said.

He further stated that any NEC meeting not convened in accordance with the party’s constitution, and without statutory NEC members present, is null and void regardless of who convenes it. “Even if the meeting was called by the President, it would still be illegal if it doesn’t follow the Labour Party constitution and the Electoral Act,” he said.

Referencing the recent Supreme Court ruling that dismissed external interventions in internal party disputes, Ahanotu said leadership issues must be resolved internally. “The Supreme Court judgement is very clear: no court in Nigeria has the right to wade into political party leadership issues. The party must go back to its own house to resolve its problems and stop disturbing the courts.”

When asked who the legitimate national chairman of the Labour Party is, Ahanotu unequivocally named Julius Abure. He further stressed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has no constitutional power to determine the party’s leadership. “Abure, of course. And INEC cannot remove him. INEC must submit to the law; they are not above it. No matter how they play with the big and mighty, they must obey the Labour Party constitution and the Electoral Act,” he insisted.

Responding to claims that the Abure-led faction is responsible for destabilizing the party, Ahanotu said such accusations are baseless and stem from ideological clashes within the party’s new power blocs. He pointed to the influx of elite members into the party following the 2023 elections, noting that some of them are attempting to hijack the party’s structure.

“It’s unfortunate. We have a crop of people who joined the party with an elite mentality. They believe the Labour Party must be hijacked by them,” he said. Drawing a parallel with the internal crises within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), he warned that similar implosions could occur if emerging tensions are not handled with humility and openness.

“The high and mighty in the Labour Party must be humble enough to come into the room and say what they want. Because right now, we don’t even know what they want,” Ahanotu added.

Since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections, where Peter Obi emerged as the party’s presidential candidate, the Labour Party has been engulfed in leadership disputes. The battle for control has largely revolved around the Julius Abure-led faction and a rival group aligned with influential political figures including Governor Otti and other associates of Peter Obi.

The ongoing internal strife has cast a shadow over the party’s ability to consolidate gains made in 2023 and prepare effectively for the 2027 general elections. As it stands, the Labour Party remains deeply divided, with its base and national leadership caught in a tug-of-war that could shape its political future.