Court of Appeal Ruling on Labour Party Leadership Hailed as Democratic Victory by Senator Nenadi Usman

Senator Nenadi Usman, the interim National Chairman of the Labour Party, has expressed her profound satisfaction with the recent Court of Appeal ruling concerning the party's leadership, labelling it a triumph for democracy, justice, and the rule of law.

"I was genuinely happy and grateful to Almighty God because I felt it was a victory for democracy, I felt it was a victory for the rule of law. I felt the right thing had been done. I felt it was all about justice, fairness," she stated.

During an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, the lawmaker conveyed her appreciation to the judicial system for what she described as a just verdict. She also extended her thanks to Labour Party members and supporters nationwide for their solidarity throughout the legal proceedings.

"I must thank the judiciary for what they have done. Above all, I also want to thank members of the Labour Party who have been coming—some came from all over the country just to be in court for the ruling. I really appreciate them and, of course, Nigerians who have been calling to express solidarity, even those who are not members of the Labour Party. I’m sincerely very grateful. I do appreciate it."

Addressing public perceptions of the judiciary, Senator Usman advised against making sweeping judgments about judges. She posited that, like any profession, the judiciary comprises individuals of varying competence, and urged against categorizing all judicial officers collectively, while affirming that most judges strive to uphold integrity in their duties.

"I wouldn’t stereotype, I wouldn’t put all into the same basket. I believe that in every profession in life, there are always the good people and there are always those who are not so good. But, you know, if you just lump everybody together and say everybody is bad or everybody is good, then there’s a problem there. So I think most judges are doing their best and I think we appreciate them. For those who are being questioned, then I would plead that they get their act right," she admonished.

Senator Usman characterised the numerous court cases filed by opposing factions within the Labour Party across different jurisdictions as an abuse of the judicial process, suggesting their aim was to destabilise the party rather than address legitimate legal concerns.

"I think it was a case to destabilize the party where you see one person going to court at any given time, nothing less than eight different cases in eight different courts in eight different cities—eight different states—at any given time. So it’s really an abuse of court processes, and all seeking one relief. All these cases just to get one relief," she noted.

She refuted claims that a significant segment of the Labour Party does not recognise her leadership, citing a recent Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) verification exercise and ongoing party activities as proof of her legitimacy.

"I wouldn’t say a significant portion of the party doesn’t recognize my authority. Let me state categorically: today we had a verification exercise that INEC came to our office to look at what we’ve been doing. They asked several questions, wanted some documents—we did all that, it went very well. And I tell you, even some who were called chairmen under my predecessor’s tenure, they were there. They came. They were there at the office," she revealed.

She further mentioned ward-level meetings in Kaduna State and reiterated that her leadership is dedicated to rebuilding the party through structured processes.

"And tomorrow we are starting our congresses. My ward congress is tomorrow; I’m going to my ward, Jere South Ward of Kagarko Local Government Area in Kaduna State. I’ll be there tomorrow for the congress, and it’s going to culminate into the national convention on Tuesday. And we’ve invited them; they will come.

"As I said earlier, during the verification exercise, we’ve extended an olive branch. We just want to build the party. We don’t want anybody to perpetuate himself as a party chairman for life. I believe that leadership of any political institution, so long as it’s not a traditional institution where from the day you become a king you remain an Emir until death, every such office has a tenure. So you come, you go, but the party should remain," she stressed.

She asserted that any questions regarding division within the Labour Party would be resolved through the forthcoming congresses and the national convention, emphasizing that widespread participation would underscore unity.

"I think the issue of legitimacy, acceptance—as I told you, we’re starting tomorrow. Congresses start tomorrow. By the time we go for the national convention, you will see who and who would attend. We’ve invited everybody. So if anyone decides to stay away because they believe that the Labour Party is all about one person—and without that person, they’d rather the party dies—then you see there’s a problem there," Sen. Usman said.

Senator Usman advocated for institutional development over personal allegiance, stating that court rulings are currently facilitating unity in anticipation of the Umuahia convention.

"So I think by the time we come together at the Umuahia convention on Tuesday, I believe you’re going to see a more unified Labour Party. Because almost everybody is beginning to ask: what is the name of this party? It’s the Labour Party. Is there any one particular name that is attached to the Labour Party? No, nobody’s name. Labour Party is Labour Party. So if you love the Labour Party, please let’s set all that aside. Particularly after yesterday’s judgment, most people feel it’s better we just come together. Even some chairmen that were not with me before, who felt they were sympathetic to my predecessor, they’ve come and we are moving on," she shared.

She expressed surprise at reports that the opposing faction planned to appeal to the Supreme Court, describing the continuous litigation as a repetitive and unproductive cycle.

"One of them was telling me today that they don’t even think he would go that far to the Supreme Court. So I was surprised when I came here and I was told there was a video clip saying he would go to the Supreme Court. Because the judgment was hinged on a Supreme Court judgment. As a fallout of that, a lower court hinged its decision on that; the Court of Appeal hinged… then you now go again back to the Supreme Court. You see, it’s just a circle. So I just wish he would bury the hatchet, sheathe his sword, pay the 10 million Naira imposed on him, and then he should come—let’s build the party," she urged.

Senator Usman also highlighted concerns about an over-reliance on the courts for resolving internal party disputes, suggesting that political parties should enhance their own internal mechanisms for dispute resolution to manage conflicts before they escalate to legal action.

"Looking at the new Act, I think now almost every political party would have to have like a little court within its organization. So that when internal squabbles come up, you would be able to settle them. Those to be disciplined, you discipline them. And that way, most of these things internally, they will be sorted out and wouldn’t need to result to going to the courts," she suggested.

Furthermore, she conveyed optimism regarding reconciliation within the Labour Party, noting that discussions with members who previously held opposing views indicate a growing inclination to prioritize the party's welfare over individual interests.

"It is possible. Reconciliation is possible because, as I said earlier, I discovered in the course of conversation with many of the people that felt otherwise, I discovered the interest of the party was foremost in their minds. So we’ve come to a stage, we’ve come to a bridge now where they believe: should we go across the bridge, reconcile, build our party, or should we let the party die because of one man? So you know, they’re beginning to think that way, and that is why most of them feel we can now work together. So I’m very, very hopeful and I believe that they mean it; they have the party’s interest at heart and they are willing to come help develop the party."

Responding to inquiries about the party's future trajectory, Senator Usman stated that Nigerians should anticipate a Labour Party firmly rooted in its foundational principles of social justice and equal opportunity. She cited Governor Alex Otti as an example of the party's ideology in action and encouraged wider participation in electoral processes.

"What I want Nigerians to expect henceforth is a new Labour Party that is going to be strictly based on the ideologies the party was built initially to represent. And what are those things? Equal opportunity, social justice. We are going to make sure that the ideology is not forgotten.

"And if you look at what the Abia Governor is doing, he’s strictly following those—equal opportunity and social justice. Yes, Governor Alex Otti. He is what I would say is the ambassador of the Labour Party. He’s the only governor we have and he’s doing very well. So we want other people to come. If you think you’re an activist, you have something to offer Nigeria, come contest elections. If you think you’re a unionist and instead of complaining, going to hold protests, come and go to the National Assembly or go to your State Assembly, make the changes—because you cannot change from outside. So we want to invite everybody to please come, join, participate in electoral processes. If you win, you represent the people and then the changes you’ve been advocating all these years, you have the opportunity to go in there and make the changes," she urged.