The Forum of State Chairmen of the Labour Party has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject a memo allegedly submitted by Senator Nenadi Usman seeking approval to conduct fresh party congresses across the country.
The forum also called on the electoral body to sanction Usman and members of the caretaker committee behind the move.
In a statement issued by the factional National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, the forum said the proposed congresses, reportedly scheduled to begin on March 26, 2026, do not comply with the provisions of the Labour Party constitution or existing laws.
According to Ifoh, the request to INEC was unconstitutional because only the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) has the authority to determine the date, time, and guidelines for conducting party congresses.
The forum noted that the current state chairmen were elected during congresses held on December 6, 2025, and their tenure remains valid.
“State, Local Government and Ward executives have a four-year tenure. Calling for fresh congresses while the tenure of those elected in December 2025 is still subsisting is unconstitutional,” the statement said.
The group also referenced a previous communication from INEC dated February 16, 2025, which reportedly declined recognition of the caretaker committee’s actions and warned that the committee could not act on behalf of the party.
Ifoh further maintained that the Labour Party had earlier stated that Senator Usman was not a registered member of the party, describing her attempt to notify INEC of fresh congresses as invalid.
He argued that a caretaker committee lacks the authority to dissolve duly elected executives or impose new leadership structures across the party.
“It is unlawful and an aberration for a caretaker committee to summarily dissolve duly elected executives and appoint another committee in their place,” he said.
The forum insisted that Usman’s latest memo to INEC, dated March 3, notifying the commission of plans to conduct congresses, should be disregarded.
According to the statement, INEC had already indicated in its earlier correspondence that it had no knowledge of any NEC meeting convened by the caretaker committee to dissolve or elect new party executives.
The state chairmen also urged INEC to consider designating an official of the commission to oversee the affairs of the Labour Party in order to ensure compliance with the law.
They stressed that the tenure of elected party officials remains protected under the Labour Party constitution and cannot be arbitrarily terminated by a caretaker committee.
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