The internal crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) deepened on Tuesday night as the faction aligned with the party’s former National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, announced that it had retaken control of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

The Abure-led faction said the development came just hours after a rival group loyal to Senator Esther Nenadi Usman reportedly gained access to the Utako-based secretariat in the early hours of Tuesday.

In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the Abure camp alleged that the Nenadi Usman faction entered the secretariat around 1:00 a.m. and accessed several offices, including those of the National Chairman and the National Secretary.

The statement further claimed that sensitive party documents and other items were removed from the offices during the incident, while billboards bearing the image of Barrister Abure were dismantled.

According to the Abure faction, the Nenadi Usman group also conducted a press conference at the secretariat without authorisation from the party’s recognised leadership.

However, the faction said it later regained control of the facility, describing the earlier takeover as illegal and unauthorised.

“The leadership of the party has since recovered its secretariat after it was discovered that the operation by Nenadi Usman and the Deputy Governor of Abia State was illegal,” the statement said.

The group added that it would carry out an assessment to determine any losses arising from the incident and take appropriate action thereafter.

It reassured party members that normal activities would resume at the national headquarters on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, while apologising for any inconvenience caused by the development.

The latest incident underscores the deepening leadership tussle within the Labour Party, as rival factions continue to lay claim to the party’s national leadership and control of its secretariat amid conflicting court rulings.

Efforts to reach the Nenadi Usman faction for comments were unsuccessful as at press time.