The Labour Party, under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure, has strongly criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission for excluding its candidates from participating in the upcoming August 16 bye-election.
The party described the move as “unlawful,” “surprising,” and an “abuse of power” by the electoral body.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, emphasized that the Labour Party, as a legally recognized political party in Nigeria, is fully aware of its constitutional and legal rights to sponsor candidates in elections.
He stressed that the party is also aware that INEC lacks the authority to prevent it from fielding candidates or to selectively determine in which elections the party may participate.
“It is on record that no court in Nigeria, including the Supreme Court, has derecognised the present leadership of the Labour Party. It is also a fact that the April 4, 2025, judgement of the Supreme Court ruled only on the lack of jurisdiction of the lower court and Court of Appeal,” Ifoh said.
He explained that the Supreme Court did not adjudicate on the substantive issue, adding that the judiciary, including the apex court, is constitutionally restricted from intervening in the internal affairs of political parties.
“The Supreme Court, in its wisdom, ruled that parties should resolve their problems within the available mechanisms as provided by their constitutions. At no point did the Supreme Court empower INEC to interfere with the internal matters of the political party,” he noted.
According to Ifoh, INEC must remain within the bounds of the laws that established it and cannot unilaterally stop political parties from sponsoring candidates, provided that such parties comply with the requirements of the Electoral Act.
“We are, by this statement, asking INEC to enlist our duly nominated candidates for the August 16 bye-election without further delay and to refrain from interfering with the internal matters of the Labour Party,” he demanded.
He further criticised the electoral commission for allegedly assuming judicial powers and misinterpreting the judgement of the Supreme Court.
“INEC cannot arrogate to itself the powers of the courts or give a different interpretation to a clear judgement of the apex court. The actions of INEC, if not redressed immediately, will be challenged. The Labour Party, as a responsible organisation, will do everything within the law to ensure that all efforts by INEC to intimidate, harass, and ridicule the Labour Party are resisted.”
Ifoh asserted that the Labour Party has earned its place as a pro-people political party over the past two decades and vowed to protect its integrity amid what he called renewed political attacks.
“The Labour Party has built a reputation over the last 23 years as a party for the masses, and we will not succumb to the renewed onslaught by some politicians using every available means to stultify our party’s progress. The Labour Party is not for sale, and any institution or commission making itself available to be used by politicians will have itself to blame.”
He also warned that proceeding with the bye-election without the Labour Party’s candidates would lead to a waste of public funds.
“We warn that it will be a waste of resources and precious time should INEC go ahead with the bye-election without the Labour Party on the ballot. It will indeed be catastrophic and a colossal loss of scarce monetary resources should INEC have its way.”
Concluding, Ifoh called on Nigerians, especially party supporters, to remain alert and hopeful for reforms in the nation’s electoral system. He urged candidates to stay calm while the party works to have their names included in the bye-election and future contests.
“We are also calling on Nigerians, particularly Labour Party members, to remain vigilant and to keep praying for the nation that someday the electoral process in Nigeria will be got right and that some persons will be made to take responsibility for their actions and inactions while in office. We are also calling on all our candidates to remain calm, as the party will do everything possible to ensure their names are uploaded for the August 16, 2025, bye-election and every other election in the future,” Ifoh stated.
