Nigeria’s Labour Party, a major opposition party, slid into fresh internal tension late on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, after the group loyal to Julius Abure said it had retaken the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, less than 24 hours after a caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman moved into the same building.
Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Abure faction, said in a statement issued in Abuja that the group had regained control of the headquarters in Utako, a district of the city. He alleged the premises had been “forcefully” invaded earlier on Tuesday and said his side had removed banners and billboards carrying Usman’s image after reclaiming the facility.
The Abure camp argued that the earlier takeover was illegal and unauthorised, and said it would document any losses and pursue legal action over what it described as theft linked to the incident. The group also warned that it would resist further efforts to disrupt party operations while leadership disputes remain before Nigeria’s appeal courts. It added that party activities would resume at the national secretariat from Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
Senator Usman, who is recognised by Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s acting national chairman, rejected the Abure faction’s position and said it was acting in defiance of a court judgment. Speaking through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, Usman said, “There is a court judgment in place that says Abure has ceased to be the national chairman of the party, and the secretariat is where their lawful duty should be performed.”
Usman insisted her group’s takeover earlier on Tuesday was carried out openly and lawfully, and described the reported late night action by Abure’s supporters as an illegal attempt to frustrate implementation of the judgment. She also expressed disappointment that security personnel were not left behind to prevent what she called an unlawful move.
The dispute escalated after Usman and Abia State Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu took control of the Abuja secretariat on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, amid a heavy police presence. Accounts from the scene said armed police officers were deployed within and around the facility, and that party members, supporters and journalists faced strict security checks before entering.
The crisis has been shaped by court rulings and competing claims to legitimacy. In January 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Abure’s tenure had expired and ordered INEC to recognise a caretaker committee led by Usman pending a national convention. INEC later updated its records to list Usman as acting national chairman. Abure has appealed the judgment and continues to reject the caretaker arrangement, setting the stage for continued confrontation over control of the party’s offices nationwide.