A faction of the Labour Party (LP) loyal to embattled former National Chairman Julius Abure staged a protest on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, condemning the exclusion of its candidates from upcoming bye-elections.
The protest was triggered by INEC’s decision to withhold publication of names submitted by the Abure-led group for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and other pending National Assembly bye-elections.
Amid heightened security presence, the demonstrators chanted slogans and waved placards bearing messages such as:
“INEC should respect the rule of law”
“Supreme Court judgement favours Julius Abure”
“Stop killing democracy in Nigeria”
“Caretaker committee is not a political party”
Despite the turnout, the official leadership of the Labour Party promptly disassociated itself from the protest, denouncing the demonstrators as “political impersonators” acting without party approval.
In a statement issued by Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to Interim National Chairman Senator Nenadi Usman, the party described the protest as unauthorised and illegitimate.
“The so-called protest being organised under the banner of the Labour Party is not sanctioned. The organisers are unknown to the leadership and have no mandate to represent the party,” the statement read.
The leadership also referenced INEC’s rejection of the candidate list submitted by the Abure faction, reaffirming that Abure’s tenure officially ended on June 8, 2023, as upheld by a Supreme Court ruling delivered on April 4, 2025.
The Labour Party remains deeply fractured, with an intensifying power struggle between rival factions.
Tensions escalated in July when the National Executive Committee (NEC), chaired by Governor Alex Otti, appointed Senator Nenadi Usman as Interim National Chairman and Darlington Nwokocha as Interim National Secretary, pending a national convention.
The NEC also unveiled a comprehensive timetable for ward, local government, state, and zonal congresses, aimed at rebuilding internal party structures.
However, the Abure-led bloc remains defiant. Kennedy Ahanotu, National Youth Leader and a key ally of Abure, rejected the NEC appointments as “unconstitutional,” maintaining that Abure remains the party’s legitimate national chairman, citing the LP constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.
With the 2027 general elections on the horizon, the Labour Party’s deepening internal rift—particularly between the Abure faction and the group aligned with Peter Obi, Senator Usman, and Governor Otti—raises pressing concerns about the party’s unity, credibility, and electoral preparedness.
