The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that none of the individuals currently laying claim to the leadership of the Labour Party (LP) is officially recognised by the electoral body.
The clarification comes amid a growing internal crisis in the party, with four factions, led by Julius Abure, Senator Nenadi Usman, Lamidi Apapa, and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Political Commission—locked in a battle for control.
INEC said it has not recognised either the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) or the National Caretaker Committee chaired by Usman. The commission noted that it is still reviewing the recent Supreme Court judgment, which ruled that the leadership dispute within the Labour Party is an internal matter to be resolved by the party itself.
Tensions escalated two days ago when the faction led by Abure announced the suspension of Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Senator Ireti Kingibe, and three House of Representatives members; Afam Victor Ogene, Amobi Godwin Ogah, and Seyi Sowunmi, citing alleged anti-party activities. The suspension was rejected by the caretaker leadership, which in turn set up a panel to investigate financial misconduct within the NWC. The LP Caucus in the House of Representatives also denounced the move, accusing Abure of attempting to destroy the party.
INEC responded to media reports suggesting it had recognised certain persons as LP’s national chairman and secretary. In a statement by Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, the commission said: “Our attention has been drawn to some media reports claiming that the Commission has recognised certain persons as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP). The reports also inferred that the Commission has restored a particular individual as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), referring to the listings on the Commission’s official website.”
“The reports are false and misleading. The Commission has not made any decision in respect of either the LP or PDP. The names of the national officers of the LP had previously been uploaded to our website following a court order, not related in any way to the latest judgement of the Supreme Court. In the same manner, the name of the National Secretary of the PDP on the same website was neither deleted nor reinstated. As a law-abiding institution, the Commission is carefully studying the judgment of the Supreme Court on the Labour Party and will communicate its decision to the public in due course.”
In response to the suspension issued by Abure’s faction, lawmakers Ogene, Ogah, and Sowunmi released a strongly worded statement in Abuja accusing Abure of attempting to drag the party into oblivion. They described their suspension as “laughable” and characterised Abure as a “dethroned emperor” clinging to power.
“It is now evidently clear to everyone who has followed recent events in the Labour Party that our former national chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, is in a desperate move not to go down alone,” the statement read. “It’s utterly absurd that Abure, who failed to demonstrate moral integrity during his tenure as national chairman, now claims the authority to sanction party leaders. Only in Abure’s distorted reality can those with questionable character judge others.”
“In the real world, his Supreme Court-nullified leadership status has reduced him to a self-serving, shameless impostor driven by personal gain. A political party is set up for the specific goal of participating in the democratic process, especially the contestation for power.”
The lawmakers questioned what Abure had achieved since the party’s electoral momentum in 2023: “Since the Peter Obi effect of 2023, what has Abure and his gang of undertakers done to enhance the fortunes of the party? In fact, we challenge him and his cohorts to name one single individual of note that they have attracted to the party since 2023.”
“From Kogi to Bayelsa, Ondo to Edo, what Abure has done is lead the Party to disastrous outcomes. All they have excelled in, is run the party as a criminal enterprise, fleecing aspirants of hard-earned cash in exchange for the party ticket.”
“Even in his native Edo, where he was dragged on the floor like a common felon because of disputations over misappropriated delegate funds, the over-bloated and egoistic Abure couldn’t even win his polling unit for the party.”
They concluded with a scathing rebuke: “Which self-respecting national chairman of a political party busies himself running around media houses like a press boy? The last time around, it was announcing the sack and replacement of Hon. Ogene as caucus leader, but when that didn’t work, he resorted to contriving a fake suspension order. Abure has appointed himself as a willing undertaker for the destruction of the soul of the Labour Party, but ironically, he is only supervising the burial plan of his image and integrity as a public servant and political leader. We wish him well.”
