Labour Party Elects New National Chairman at Umuahia Convention

The Labour Party (LP) has elected Nenadi Usman as its National Chairman at the party’s national convention held on Tuesday in Umuahia, Abia State.

Her emergence makes her the first woman to lead a political party as National Chairman in Nigeria.

Usman had previously been appointed on 4 September 2024 to head the party’s National Caretaker Committee following a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Umuahia, after the expiration of the tenure of the former National Working Committee.

She led the party through a prolonged leadership crisis, which was later resolved in her favour through court rulings. A Federal High Court judgement delivered on 21 January 2026 affirmed her position, a decision subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal in a unanimous ruling on 21 April 2026. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had also recognised her leadership prior to the convention.

A former Minister of Finance and senator, Usman pledged in her acceptance speech to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. She thanked party members for their confidence and promised to promote unity, peace and reconciliation within the party.

Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, commended party members and urged the new National Working Committee to provide purposeful leadership and strengthen party structures nationwide.

Other officials elected into the National Working Committee include Iheanacho Obioma as National Secretary, Nike Oriola as Deputy National Chairman, Ken Eluma Asogwa as National Publicity Secretary, Oluchi Oparah as National Organising Secretary, Anslem Eragbe as National Financial Secretary, and Hilda Dokubo as National Women Leader.

The newly elected National Working Committee was sworn in at the end of the convention.