Labour Party Rejects INEC Recognition Withdrawal Claim, Insists Abure Remains Chairman

The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed reports suggesting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has withdrawn recognition from its National Chairman, Julius Abure, describing such claims as “false propaganda.”

In a statement issued on Saturday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the report emanated from Senator Nenadi Usman and her faction, who, he claimed, were deliberately misleading the public after Friday’s ruling of the Federal High Court.

Ifoh stressed that contrary to speculations, Abure remains the authentic leader of the Labour Party and urged Nigerians not to be deceived by what he termed as desperate attempts to weaken the party’s structure ahead of critical elections.

Court Ruling Dismisses Both Suits

Explaining the developments in court, Ifoh revealed that two separate suits involving the Labour Party were dismissed by the Federal High Court. One of the cases was filed by Senator Nenadi Usman through her preferred candidate for the Edo bye-election, Chris Omofuma, while the other was filed by the Abure-led national leadership of the party.

According to him, the court struck out Usman’s suit on the grounds that neither she nor Darlington Nwokocha had the legal authority to nominate a candidate on behalf of the party. On the other hand, Abure’s case was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, with the judge citing the Supreme Court’s earlier decision that internal leadership disputes remain the exclusive affairs of political parties.

“The Supreme Court never said that Abure was not the National Chairman of the Labour Party. It only held that leadership issues are internal affairs of the party,” Ifoh clarified in the statement.

Misrepresentation of INEC’s Position

The Labour Party further accused Senator Usman’s faction of misrepresenting INEC’s counter-affidavit in court, falsely presenting it as a legal victory. Ifoh stressed that similar claims had previously been dismissed by multiple judges, including Justices Omotosho and Nwite, as well as the Court of Appeal and even the Supreme Court.

“Are they celebrating because they want the party to die? Who benefits from all of this saga? Who is the loser? Are Peter Obi and Dr. Alex Otti not actually the losers in all of these? A party that gave them a platform when they had none should not be undermined,” Ifoh said, questioning the motives behind the persistent legal battles.

He warned that the deliberate twisting of facts and reliance on propaganda were designed to weaken the Labour Party’s credibility and cause confusion within its ranks.

Labour Party Call on INEC to Respect Court Order

Obiora Ifoh also called on INEC to respect the interlocutory order of the Nasarawa State High Court, which, on July 23, directed the electoral body to continue recognising Julius Abure and Umar Farouk Ibrahim as the authentic national leadership of the Labour Party.

The publicity secretary expressed concern over what he described as a “rumoured collaboration between INEC and renegades” to undermine the party, warning that such a move could erode public trust in democratic institutions.

“We want to believe that Nigerians will rise to defend this democracy if there is any truth in the rumoured collaboration between INEC and renegades to undermine the Labour Party,” Ifoh declared.

Labour Party Urges Calm Among Members

Despite the leadership tussle, the Labour Party has appealed to its members and supporters across the country to remain calm, vigilant, and steadfast. Ifoh reassured the party faithful that the crisis rocking the leadership would soon be resolved through legal and political processes.

He reiterated that Julius Abure remains the duly recognised National Chairman and urged members to avoid falling prey to misinformation or deliberate propaganda. According to him, unity and resilience are essential for the Labour Party to withstand external and internal pressures aimed at destabilising its structure.

“The Labour Party will overcome this distraction, and the truth will prevail. What we need now is calmness and focus as we continue to pursue justice,” Ifoh concluded.