Labour Party Dismisses Reports of INEC Withdrawing Recognition of Julius Abure as Chairman

The Labour Party (LP) has debunked reports suggesting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has withdrawn recognition from its National Chairman, Julius Abure, describing such claims as “false propaganda.”

In a statement on Saturday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, insisted that Abure remains the authentic leader of the party and accused Senator Nenadi Usman and her faction of deliberately misleading the public following Friday’s ruling of the Federal High Court.

According to Ifoh, two separate cases involving the Labour Party were dismissed by the same court. One was filed by Nenadi Usman through her preferred candidate in the Edo bye-election, Chris Omofuma, while the other was initiated by the Abure-led leadership.

He explained that Usman’s suit was thrown out on the grounds that neither she nor House of Representatives member Darlington Nwokocha had the authority to nominate a candidate for the bye-election. Similarly, the case filed by Abure’s camp was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, as the court cited a Supreme Court ruling affirming that political parties have the exclusive right to resolve their internal leadership disputes.

“The Supreme Court never said that Abure was not the National Chairman of the Labour Party. It only held that leadership issues are internal affairs of the party,” Ifoh clarified.

The party spokesman accused Usman’s group of misrepresenting INEC’s counter-affidavit in court as a legal victory, noting that similar claims had previously been dismissed in rulings by Justices Omotosho and Nwite, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court.

“Are they celebrating because they want the party to die? Who benefits from all of this saga? Who is the loser? Are Peter Obi and Dr. Alex Otti not actually the losers in all of these? A party that gave them a platform when they had none should not be undermined,” he queried.

Ifoh further urged INEC to comply with an interlocutory order issued by the Nasarawa State High Court on July 23, directing the commission to recognise Abure and Umar Farouk Ibrahim as the authentic leaders of the Labour Party pending the determination of a substantive suit.

He warned against any alleged collaboration between INEC and “renegades” to destabilise the party, saying:

“We want to believe that Nigerians will rise to defend this democracy if there is any truth in the rumoured collaboration between INEC and renegades to undermine the Labour Party.”

The spokesman also appealed to party members to remain calm and vigilant, assuring them that the ongoing leadership crisis would soon be resolved.