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Nigerian Labour Party Disavows Unauthorized Social Media Account
The Labour Party (LP) has officially distanced itself from a fraudulent social media account operating on X (formerly Twitter) under the name “Nigeria Labour Party (LP)” with the handle @NewsLp26689, describing it as unauthorized and deliberately misleading to the public.
According to a statement released Monday by Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the LP’s Interim National Chairman, the counterfeit account emerged in January 2026, shortly after a significant Federal High Court judgment that affirmed Senator Nenadi Usman as the party’s Interim National Chairperson.
“The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to a fake X account which is falsely purporting to disseminate information to the general public on behalf of the party,” Asogwa stated in the official communication.
The statement clarified the status of the party’s legitimate social media presence, noting that its authentic accounts—”Labour Party-Nig” on Facebook with approximately 12,000 followers and “@LabourPartyNG” on X with roughly 839,000 followers—are currently inactive following recent leadership transitions.
This social media confusion comes amid broader organizational changes within the Labour Party. Following the court ruling that established Senator Usman’s leadership position, the party has initiated formal procedures requesting the previous administration to surrender control of the official social media channels. Party officials expressed optimism that this transition process would proceed smoothly and without unnecessary conflict.
“The party remains hopeful that this process will be concluded peacefully and without rancour,” Asogwa noted, emphasizing the importance of maintaining organizational continuity during the leadership transition.
The statement explicitly warned that until the handover of official social media credentials is completed, the Labour Party is not actively using any social media platforms for public communications. Instead, all official party statements are being disseminated exclusively through press releases issued directly from the Office of the Interim National Chairman.
Political analysts note that this situation reflects wider challenges political organizations face in the digital age, where unauthorized social media accounts can quickly spread misinformation or create confusion among supporters and the general public. The incident highlights the importance of verified communication channels in political discourse, particularly as Nigeria approaches future electoral cycles.
The Labour Party has emerged as a significant political force in Nigeria’s multi-party democracy, making the control of its official messaging particularly important for maintaining party cohesion and public trust. Unauthorized social media accounts presenting themselves as official party channels pose risks to party messaging discipline and can potentially mislead both members and voters.
The statement urged journalists, party supporters, and members of the public to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of communications allegedly coming from the party. “We appreciate the media for their vigilance, professionalism, and unbiased reportage on matters concerning the party,” the statement concluded.
Political communication experts recommend that parties establish clear verification protocols and consider implementing digital verification badges across their communication channels to help supporters distinguish between authentic party communications and imitations or parody accounts.
As the handover process continues, the Labour Party has committed to notifying the public once its official social media presence is reactivated under the new leadership structure.
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8 Comments
This is a timely reminder of the need for rigorous social media monitoring and verification, especially for prominent political entities. The Labour Party’s response seems appropriate in calling out this fraudulent account.
While the proliferation of fake social media accounts is concerning, I’m glad to see the Labour Party taking prompt action to identify and distance itself from this fraudulent one. Maintaining control over official channels is essential.
Unfortunate that a fraudulent account would emerge to misrepresent the Labour Party. Their clear disavowal and clarification of their legitimate social media channels is a sensible approach to address this situation.
Yes, dealing swiftly with unauthorized accounts is crucial to maintain transparency and credibility. The party’s statement seems like a reasonable way to set the record straight.
This is concerning news about a fraudulent social media account misrepresenting the Labour Party. It’s good to see the party quickly disavowing and distancing itself from this unauthorized account. Transparency and honesty are crucial, especially in the digital age.
This is a good example of why political parties need to be proactive in monitoring their online presence. The Labour Party’s response appears to be a sensible way to address the issue and protect their brand integrity.
It’s important for political parties to maintain tight control over their official social media presence. This unauthorized account could be very misleading to the public. Kudos to the Labour Party for swiftly addressing this issue.
Agreed. Fake accounts like this can spread misinformation and undermine public trust. Decisive action from the party to clarify the situation is the right move.