By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The Chairman of the Labour Party Caretaker Committee, Nenadi Usman, has urged party stakeholders to prioritize grassroots membership registration as the foundation for future electoral success, warning that the party’s shortcomings in the 2023 general election stemmed largely from weak structural organization.
Usman made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during a one-day high-level strategic multi-level stakeholders’ summit, where she stressed that no political party can plan effectively without a verified and well-documented membership base.
She disclosed that when the National Working Committee engaged key stakeholders, the leadership emphasized that the basic strength of any political party lies in its ability to successfully register members from the grassroots.
“Without knowing who your members are, where they are, and how many you have, you can never plan well,” she said. “We saw the consequences of this in the 2023 election.”
According to her, the party’s failure to fully utilize its traditional support base—particularly labour unions—contributed significantly to the challenges it faced.
“Our problem is to ensure that we register our members right from the grassroots using the major institutions that are the foundation of the Labour Party — the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and all the unions,” she stated.
Usman explained that a comprehensive membership database would not only strengthen party structures but also ensure the availability of reliable polling unit agents during elections.
“If we can use them to register our members right from the polling unit, then we know we are on the way to success,” she said. “Because without having our people registered and having their data, we cannot effectively deploy them when elections come.”
She emphasized the critical importance of Form EC8A, the official polling unit result sheet, noting that failure to secure the documents in 2023 weakened the party’s legal position.
“In 2023 when the Labour Party went to court to prove its case, because we didn’t use the unions to get Form EC8A from every polling unit, we really couldn’t prove the number of votes that we claimed,” Usman said.
The LP chairman therefore appealed to stakeholders to return to their various states after the summit and faithfully implement agreed registration strategies to drive mass membership enrollment.
“No structure can ever be built without a foundation,” she warned, recalling that the party was widely criticized in 2023 for lacking a solid political structure.
She, however, argued that the Labour Party actually possesses one of the broadest potential networks in the country due to the nationwide spread of Nigerian workers.
“There is nowhere in this country that we don’t have workers. There is no polling unit where you will not find either a serving or retired worker,” she said. “The largest political party in Nigeria is actually the Labour Party — we are all over.”
Usman maintained that with proper mobilization, party members would willingly defend the party’s votes even without financial inducement.
“If we had been called upon in 2023, I want to assure you that even without payment, our members would have come out, stood at polling units, watched our votes counted, signed Form EC8A and collected it,” she added.
She disclosed that the party has adopted a hybrid membership registration system combining manual and electronic methods to accommodate varying realities across states.
“We are not saying we have a one-method-fits-all approach. We will look at the peculiarities of each state,” she explained.
Looking ahead to the party’s internal timetable, Usman expressed optimism that the ongoing reforms would position the Labour Party for credible congresses beginning in March and culminating in the national convention in April.
She also used the opportunity to call for unity within the party, urging aggrieved members to set aside personal interests.
“I call on all those who may be aggrieved to please put selfish interests aside and put the interests of the party first. Congresses are here — go and contest. If you win, you will be declared winner,” she said.
Usman concluded by expressing confidence that with disciplined organization and grassroots mobilization, the Labour Party can reposition itself as a formidable political force ahead of future elections.
In his goodwill message, Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti said that governance can thrive if there is unity of purpose, clarity of vision and shared convictions.
Represented by the Deputy governor Ikechukwu Emetu, Otti said the theme: Reuniting the Labour Family: Consolidating Strength for Sustainable Political Impact “is very timely and necessary because politics like governance thrives on unity of purpose. The strength of any political movement lies not many in numbers, but in cohesion, clarity of vision, discipline and shared conviction”.
According the the governor, “Reuniting the party is not about preparing for differences, it’s about building trust, strengthening structures, deepening communication and ensuring that every stakeholder, from ward level to the national leadership feels valued and heard.
“We must begin now to consolidate on our structures, strengthen grassroots mobilization and membership revalidation, build strategic alliances with progressive minds who share our vision, invest in youth and women participation as drivers of electoral success, promote internal democracy, transparency and discipline, communicate our achievements effectively and consistently to the people” he charged stakeholders.
The event was attended by the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other stakeholders.
