ABUJA – Civil society organisations allied with the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party staged a protest at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, condemning the exclusion of their candidates from the upcoming nationwide bye-elections.
Chanting solidarity songs and wielding placards that read “INEC, Who is Using You Against LP?”, “Mahmood, Stop Destroying Democracy”, and “Obey Court Orders Now!”, the demonstrators gathered at INEC’s gate around 11 a.m., demanding what they called electoral justice.
“INEC has no business determining the internal leadership of a political party,” said Comrade Kennedy Ahanotu, the National Youth Leader of the Abure-led faction, who addressed journalists during the protest. “Our candidates were duly submitted, and court judgments validate our leadership. The Commission must stop dancing to political tunes that endanger democracy.”
The protesters insisted that INEC’s refusal to recognize candidates submitted by the Abure-led leadership was in contempt of court rulings, and accused the Commission of acting under external influence.
“We are here to remind INEC that its role is to be an impartial umpire,” said another protester, Stella Uche, a civil society activist. “Any attempt to truncate democratic processes or favour a faction imposed through political machinations will not be tolerated.”
However, the Labour Party leadership aligned with Senator Nenadi Usman – the faction recognized by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) chaired by Governor Alex Otti disowned the protest.
Ken Asogwa, media aide to Senator Usman, in a statement on Tuesday, dismissed the protesters as “impostors” and “political impersonators,” stressing that the protest was unauthorized and had no legitimacy.
“Those parading themselves under the guise of the Labour Party are merely trying to deceive the public,” Asogwa stated. “The authentic leadership of the party did not call for any protest, and we urge INEC and the public to disregard their antics.”
The Labour Party has been embroiled in a fierce leadership crisis since July, when the NEC removed Julius Abure and appointed Nenadi Usman as Interim National Chairman, with Darlington Nwokocha as Interim National Secretary. The NEC also constituted a caretaker committee to oversee party affairs until a national convention is held.
But the Abure faction has consistently rejected the NEC’s moves, arguing that the Supreme Court ruling upholds Abure’s leadership and that the NEC lacks constitutional power to appoint new leaders.
“This is a clear power grab,” said Ahanotu. “We will resist any attempt to usurp the will of party members using INEC as a pawn.”
As the 2027 general elections approach, the deepening rift within the Labour Party – particularly the divide between the Abure-led group and the faction supported by Peter Obi, Governor Otti, and Senator Usman – threatens to derail the party’s cohesion and electoral preparations.
