Bye-Elections: Abure-Led LP faction protests at INEC HQ over omission of candidates

Tensions flared in Abuja on Wednesday as members of the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) staged a protest at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The protest was sparked by INEC’s refusal to publish the names of candidates submitted by the Abure group for the upcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and several National Assembly bye-elections.

Chanting solidarity songs and waving placards with various inscriptions, the aggrieved party members marched around the INEC premises under the close watch of security operatives.

Some of the placards read, “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.”

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Meanwhile, the leadership of the Labour Party, in a statement on Tuesday, distanced itself from the protest, warning that the action was neither authorised nor recognised by the legitimate organs of the party.

In a statement signed by Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Interim National Chairman, Nenadi Usman, the party described the protesters as “impostors” and “political impersonators.”

“The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to an invitation circulating in certain quarters regarding a purported protest scheduled to be held on 6th August 2025 at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the statement read.

“This protest is allegedly being organised by some unknown individuals purportedly operating under the banner of the Labour Party. We wish to categorically state that the said protest is not sanctioned by the Labour Party. The organisers are unknown to the party’s leadership, and the action lacks the approval and backing of the party.”

The party referenced INEC’s recent rejection of a list of candidates submitted by Julius Abure and his group, describing the submission as illegitimate.

It further urged INEC to act in line with the Supreme Court judgement of 4th April 2025, which affirmed that Abure’s tenure as party chairman expired on 8th June 2023.

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.

However, 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 remains 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.