The Labour Party has formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its schedule for the 2026 elective congresses and national convention.
In a letter dated March 31, 2026, addressed to the INEC chairman at the commission’s headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, the party communicated the timetable for its ward, local government area and state congresses ahead of the national convention. The correspondence, referenced LPHQ/NWC/INEC/03/26/025, was signed by the party’s caretaker national chairman, Nenadi Esther Usman, and caretaker national secretary, Darlington Nwokocha. The document showed that INEC acknowledged receipt of the notification on March 31, 2026.
According to the schedule submitted to the electoral commission, the ward congress will hold on April 23, 2026, to elect ward executive officers at Labour Party ward offices across the federation. The local government congress is scheduled for April 24, 2026, where LGA executive officers will be elected at designated party offices across the 774 local government areas of the country. This will be followed by the state congress on April 25, 2026, to elect state executive officers across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The party’s national convention is scheduled to take place on April 28, 2026, at the International Conference Center in Umuahia, Abia State, where national executive officers will be elected.
The Labour Party explained that the new timetable followed an earlier postponement of the activities to enable broader participation of members and allow the completion of its ongoing digital membership registration exercise.
The party noted that the notification was issued in line with Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), as well as INEC regulations and guidelines for political parties, which require parties to formally inform the electoral commission before conducting congresses and conventions. It also cited Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates political parties to notify the commission of their internal electoral activities.
The party urged INEC to acknowledge the notice and notify its state offices to ensure effective monitoring of the congresses and the national convention in line with its constitutional responsibilities, while reaffirming its commitment to democratic development and internal party democracy in Nigeria.
