The Labour Party’s state chairman in Nasarawa, Alexander Ombugu, has denied reports of his suspension, declaring himself the legitimate leader and dismissing a rival caretaker committee as unrecognised and illegitimate.
Speaking in Lafia, Ombugu characterised the suspension claims as baseless propaganda orchestrated by individuals falsely claiming to constitute a caretaker committee. He stated that this group holds no validation from the Labour Party’s national body or the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the official regulator for political parties in Nigeria.
Ombugu alleged the primary aim of the purported committee is to sow confusion and financially defraud political aspirants ahead of the party’s primaries. He further argued that the party’s constitution makes no provision for the appointment of a caretaker committee, questioning the legal foundation of the group’s emergence.
The chairman warned that members of this group have been contacting ward and local government executives—who were democratically elected during party congresses—in an attempt to create divisions. He urged all party members and supporters across Nasarawa’s 13 local government areas to shun the committee and remain loyal to the existing state executive.
Ombugu called on security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to investigating the group’s activities to prevent public deception.
He defended the legitimacy of his executive, noting that the party’s ward, local government, and state congresses were conducted transparently in line with constitutional rules and were monitored by both INEC and security agencies. “We followed due process, submitted the names of elected officials, and received official acknowledgment from INEC,” he stated.
The state executive, he reiterated, includes himself as chairman, with Bulus Sakks as Secretary, Esther Arishi as Treasurer, and Isiaka Okpu as Financial Secretary, among others.
Despite the internal dispute, Ombugu expressed confidence that the Labour Party would resolve its challenges and become stronger in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
The statement highlights an ongoing internal power struggle within the Nasarawa chapter of the Labour Party, a nationally significant opposition party, with implications for candidate selection and unity ahead of future electoral cycles. The assertion of INEC’s recognition is a critical point, as the commission’s documentation is the definitive legal record of a party’s official leadership structure at the state level.
