The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed speculation that a court ruling affirming Senator Nenadi Usman as the acting National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) could weaken the opposition coalition or trigger the return of former presidential candidate Peter Obi to the LP.
Gatekeepers News reports that the ADC said the judgment would not affect the opposition alliance aimed at defeating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
Reacting to the development, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, told The Guardian in Abuja that the ruling would not change the coalition’s direction.
“The ruling does not change anything substantially. Mr Obi has declared openly for the ADC. Senator Nenadi Usman has been a leading member of the coalition from the start.
If anything, this judgment will only make the coalition stronger,” he said.
The party also dismissed suggestions that the legitimacy of Senator Usman, as recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), could prompt Obi to abandon the ADC.
Background to the LP leadership crisis
Barrister Julius Abure, who previously served as LP national secretary, was elected national chairman by the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) in 2021 but was later removed following a Supreme Court decision.
After his removal, INEC recognised Senator Nenadi Usman, a former finance minister, as the legitimate national chairman of the Labour Party.
Peter Obi, who finished third in the 2023 presidential election, had earlier left the LP, citing the party’s prolonged leadership crisis and conflicting court judgments.
Following the recent court ruling, some observers speculated that Obi might return to the LP, now that its internal disputes appear resolved.
However, the ADC said both Obi and Usman remain central figures in the opposition coalition and that the judgment would not alter the alliance’s plans for 2027.
Court sacks Abure-led executives
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja has also removed the Abure-led executive of the Labour Party and nullified the candidates it produced for electoral purposes.
The court held that the evidence before it showed that Abure’s tenure as LP national chairman had already elapsed.
