Members of the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) staged a protest on Wednesday at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, decrying the exclusion of their candidates from the list for upcoming elections.
The group expressed outrage over INEC’s failure to publish the names of LP candidates submitted by the Abure-led leadership for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and several scheduled National Assembly bye-elections.
Protesters marched around the INEC premises, chanting slogans and brandishing placards with various inscriptions, including: “INEC should respect the rule of law,” “Supreme Court judgment favours Julius Abure,” “Caretaker committee is not a political party,” “Stop killing democracy in Nigeria,” and “INEC should not kill the greatest opposition party in Nigeria.” Security personnel monitored the demonstration without incident.
In response, the Labour Party, through a statement issued on Tuesday, disassociated itself from the protest. The party described the demonstrators as “impostors” and “political impersonators,” insisting the protest was not sanctioned by any legitimate organ of the party.
The statement, signed by Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Interim National Chairman, Nenadi Usman, stated:
“The action was neither authorised nor recognised by the legitimate organs of the party.”
The Labour Party remains embroiled in a prolonged leadership crisis that intensified in July, when the National Executive Committee (NEC), chaired by Governor Alex Otti, appointed Nenadi Usman as Interim National Chairman and Darlington Nwokocha as Interim National Secretary. The NEC also set up an interim working committee to manage party affairs until a national convention is held, and approved a timetable for ward, local government, state, and zonal congresses.
However, Kennedy Ahanotu, the party’s National Youth Leader and a key supporter of the Abure faction, dismissed the appointments as “unconstitutional,” asserting that Julius Abure remains the party’s legitimate national chairman. He backed his position by citing the party’s constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.
As the 2027 general elections approach, the deepening rift between the Abure-led group and the faction aligned with Peter Obi, Nenadi Usman, and Governor Otti continues to threaten the Labour Party’s cohesion and electoral preparedness.
