The leadership of the Labour Party has dismissed allegations contained in a press conference reportedly addressed by Senator Nenadi Usman, describing the claims as “fallacious” and accusing her camp of orchestrating an unlawful invasion of the party’s national headquarters.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party said it was responding to what it described as an unsigned press briefing by Usman and her associates concerning the alleged takeover of the party secretariat and claims of forgery.
The party maintained that events narrated by Usman regarding how her group gained access to the headquarters in the early hours of Tuesday, February 10, had, in its view, “already indicted themselves.”
According to the statement, individuals allegedly scaled the fence of the secretariat around 1 a.m., removed the party’s billboard and replaced it with signage linked to Usman.
The party further claimed that Usman later arrived at the premises before noon with police protection and that videos circulating online show offices — including that of the National Chairman — being accessed.
The Labour Party questioned how Usman and her associates obtained access to offices, insisting that at the time of the incident, the secretariat remained under the control of Barrister Julius Abure and that no formal handover had taken place.
“For instance, the chairman’s key was with the chairman. How did they get access to determine what was and what was not in his office?” the statement queried.
The party also argued that legal proceedings regarding the leadership dispute are ongoing and that it has appealed the judgment of a lower court while seeking a stay of execution.
It insisted that until the matter is conclusively determined by appellate courts, any claim to the office remains premature.
While alleging that “looting” is ongoing at the secretariat, the party said it would take appropriate legal action at the right time.
It further stated that it would soon convene a press conference to address what it described as “baseless allegations” against its leaders, including issues surrounding a letter from the Attorney General, a police report and a forensic analysis it claims exonerates those mentioned.
The statement called on members of the public to disregard the earlier press conference, describing it as ill-advised and made in bad faith.
The unfolding dispute highlights deepening tensions within the Labour Party’s leadership structure, with competing claims over control of the national secretariat now entangled in ongoing judicial proceedings.