Abure-led Labour Party Faction Protests at INEC HQ Over Dropping of Candidates

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 over the alleged omission of their candidates from the list for the forthcoming elections.

The protesters expressed frustration over INEC’s decision not to publish the names of LP candidates submitted by the Abure group for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and several National Assembly bye-elections.

Chanting slogans and waving placards, the demonstrators marched around the INEC premises under the watchful eyes of security operatives.

Their placards bore inscriptions such as “INEC should respect the rule of law,” “Supreme Court judgement 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.”

The protesters argued that Julius Abure remains the legitimate national chairman of the Labour Party, citing a Supreme Court judgment which they claim affirms his leadership.

They accused INEC of bias and of deliberately working against the party’s interest by recognising a faction led by a court-appointed caretaker committee.

While INEC has yet to issue an official response to the protest, the incident highlights the intensifying leadership crisis within the Labour Party.

The ongoing internal division threatens to undermine the party’s preparations for the bye-elections and could further alienate its growing support base.

Political analysts have warned that if unresolved, the leadership tussle may damage the party’s credibility and hinder its electoral prospects in future contests.