A heavy security presence was recorded on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at the national secretariat of the Labour Party (LP), a Nigerian opposition political party, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, as the acting National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, moved to take control of the party’s headquarters.
Okay News reports that journalists who visited the secretariat in Utako, a district in Abuja, saw armed police officers stationed within and around the premises.
Banners and large billboards at the secretariat showing Julius Abure and members of his executive team were removed and replaced with materials bearing the images of Usman.
Supporters, party members, and journalists were also subjected to strict security checks and were required to identify themselves before being allowed into the compound.
Sources within the party said the interim leadership had directed members to begin preparations to take over Labour Party state secretariats across Nigeria.
Usman confirmed the takeover in a phone interview through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, and said the security arrangement followed a court decision. She said, “Yes, the police mounting guard at the national secretariat were invited by our people. They are there to perform their duties as per the court’s judgment. We are doing this together with the NLC.
“We only wrote to the police to provide cover for us this morning. So, the police are there for us.”
Asked about the possibility of resistance from Abure’s faction, Usman dismissed the prospect of violence and insisted that her camp was acting within the law. She said, “There can’t be any confrontation from Abure. On what leg or basis is he standing to confront anybody? The same Abure you are talking about has since moved all his belongings from that office after the judgment.
“Since we started the agitation to take over the party secretariat, our name has not been on the INEC portal. There has never been a clear court directive by any court in Nigeria until now that Nenadi has been fully recognised as the national chairman.
“Now, the situation doesn’t give room for anybody to hang around again and be saying, ‘I am a factional this or that.’ No, not anymore. We are officially taking over the party this morning.
“I can assure you there won’t be violence or confrontation as you feared. For the police to even agree to come, you can understand that the game has changed. Before, if you wrote to the police, they would pretend like they didn’t see it,” she noted.
Shortly after the interview, the interim leadership issued a media invitation for journalists to witness the takeover scheduled for 11:00 in the morning, West African Time (WAT, GMT+1), at the secretariat in Utako, Abuja.
However, the factional National Publicity Secretary aligned with Abure, Obiora Ifoh, said his side would respond and noted that an appeal had been filed. He said, “It is strange to hear the police sealed up our secretariat despite knowing we have appealed the case. Their defence is that they have a court order to seal up the place.
“We will make our position on this issue known very soon.”
Last month, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Abure’s tenure as National Chairman of the Labour Party had elapsed and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria’s election management body, to recognise a caretaker committee led by Usman pending a national convention.
The ruling followed months of internal disputes, court cases, and parallel leadership claims that worsened after Nigeria’s 2023 general elections.
INEC later recognised Usman as acting National Chairman, citing a court order directing it to acknowledge the caretaker committee, and Abure’s name was replaced with Usman’s on INEC’s website about two weeks ago.
The officials listed on the commission’s website include Senator Darlington Nwokocha as National Secretary; Hamisu Santuraki as National Treasurer; Aisha Madije as National Financial Secretary; and Eric Ifere as National Legal Adviser.
