Labour Party Appoints Interim Committee for Rivers State Amid Leadership Dispute
The National Working Committee of Nigeria’s Labour Party has constituted a 19-member Interim State Working Committee to manage its operations in Rivers State, a move coming amid an unresolved national leadership crisis.
The committee, announced in a statement signed by National Chairman Nenadi Usman and National Secretary Darlington Nwokocha, will oversee the party’s rebuilding and strengthening efforts in the state. Fredrick Nwoje will chair the committee, with Precious Nwogu, Godfrey Otamiri, Anthony Wachukwu, Nyeche Wodike, Lawyer Thompson, and Nwiwagbo Harry serving as deputy chairmen. Chioma Atandikiari is the committee secretary.
Other members include Chinedu Christian Anele and Bright Odum (Assistant Secretaries), Sampson Nwoka (Financial Secretary), Afoma Jonathan (Treasurer), Dr. Victor Tubo (Publicity Secretary), Onusaka Saineimi (Youth Leader), Bekenwari Bob-Manual (Women Leader), Akahaa Egonu (Deputy Women Leader), Ojukwu Christian (Auditor), Mills Orlu Orlu (Legal Adviser), and Ogoya Princewill (Organising Secretary).
This appointment follows a significant legal development. On January 21, 2026, a Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed Nenadi Usman as the lawful national chairman of the Labour Party, ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize her leadership. INEC subsequently updated its official records on January 30, 2026, listing Usman as the caretaker national chairman, a recognition it reaffirmed last week.
The court ruling, however, is contested by the faction aligned with former national chairman Julius Abure, which has rejected the judgment and announced plans to appeal. This ongoing dispute creates a complex backdrop for the newly appointed Rivers State interim committee’s mandate to reorganise the party at the state level.
The committee’s formation signals an attempt by the Usman-led National Working Committee to assert administrative control in a key state. Its success in stabilising and rebranding the Labour Party in Rivers State will be closely watched, as the national leadership tussle continues through the courts. The interim body is expected to commence its oversight duties immediately, focusing on grassroots mobilization and internal reconciliation ahead of future electoral cycles.
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