Civil society organisations sympathetic to the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) on Wednesday demonstrated at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abuja, over the exclusion of candidates sympathetic to the Barrister Julius Abure group, in the forthcoming nationwide bye-elections.
Dozens of protesters carrying banners and placards with inscriptions such as: “INEC, who is using you against LP,” “Mahmood stop destroying democracy in Nigeria”, “Tell INEC to obey court orders”, among others, gathered for the peaceful protest as early as 11:00 am on Wednesday.
Recall, on Tuesday, Ken Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to Senator Nenadi Usman who is the interim national chairman of the party, the leadership of the Labour Party, distanced Labour Party from the protest, warning that the action was neither authorised nor recognised by the legitimate organs of the party.
In his statement made available to the media, Asogwa, described the protesters as “impostors” and “political impersonators.”
The Labour Party has been mired in a protracted leadership tussle, which escalated in July when the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), chaired by Governor Alex Otti, appointed Usman as Interim National Chairman and Darlington Nwokocha as Interim National Secretary.
The NEC also constituted an interim working committee to steer party affairs pending a national convention and approved a schedule for ward, local government, state, and zonal congresses.
Officials on the side of Abure have maintained that the Supreme Court judgment on the leadership crisis in the party remains in their favour.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Abure group had dismissed the activities of Senator Usman’s group, labeling it as a “mischief.”
On his part, Kennedy Ahanotu, National Youth Leader and a key figure in the Abure-led faction, rejected the appointments, calling them “unconstitutional” and insisting that Julius Abure remain the party’s authentic national chairman, citing the Labour Party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
With the 2027 general elections on the horizon, the ongoing division, particularly between the Abure-led bloc and the group aligned with Peter Obi, Nenadi, and Governor Otti, continues to cast uncertainty over the Labour Party’s unity and electoral readiness.
