Supporters aligned with Julius Abure’s faction of the Labour Party (LP) staged a protest on Wednesday at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, opposing the exclusion of their nominated candidates from the upcoming elections.
The demonstrators gathered in response to INEC’s decision to omit names submitted by the Abure-led group for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council polls and several National Assembly bye-elections.
Under the supervision of security personnel, protesters marched around the INEC office, chanting and displaying placards with various messages.
Among the placards were slogans such as “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.”
However, the Labour Party’s national leadership had earlier issued a statement disassociating itself from the protest, asserting that the demonstration was neither authorised nor recognised by the party’s legitimate leadership.
In the statement signed by Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to Interim National Chairman Nenadi Usman, the leadership referred to the demonstrators 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 said.
“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 leadership also cited INEC’s recent rejection of a candidate list submitted by Abure’s group, labelling the submission as invalid.
They urged the electoral commission to abide by the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025 ruling, which declared that Abure’s term as chairman officially ended on June 8, 2023.
The Labour Party has been embroiled in a longstanding internal conflict that intensified in July, when the National Executive Committee (NEC), chaired by Governor Alex Otti, appointed Nenadi Usman as Interim National Chairman and Darlington Nwokocha as Interim National Secretary.
In addition, the NEC established an interim working committee to manage the party’s affairs until a national convention could be held and approved a timetable for upcoming congresses at the ward, local government, state, and zonal levels.
Nevertheless, Kennedy Ahanotu, National Youth Leader and a prominent member of the Abure-led group, dismissed the NEC appointments as “unconstitutional” and insisted that “Julius Abure remains the party’s authentic national chairman,” referencing the Labour Party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
As the 2027 general elections approach, the internal rift—especially between Abure’s faction and the bloc aligned with Peter Obi, Nenadi Usman, and Governor Otti—continues to cast doubt on the party’s cohesion and preparedness.