Members loyal to the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party staged a protest on Wednesday at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja, expressing outrage over the exclusion of their candidates from the official list for upcoming elections.
The demonstrators, guarded by heavy security, voiced their frustration at INEC’s decision not to publish candidates submitted by the Abure-led group for the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and several National Assembly bye-elections.
They carried placards bearing messages such as “INEC should respect the rule of law,” “Supreme Court judgement favours Julius Abure,” and “INEC should not kill the greatest opposition party in Nigeria,” while chanting solidarity songs and marching around the INEC premises to demand redress.
In response, the officially recognised leadership of the Labour Party promptly distanced itself from the protest, asserting that the action was neither approved nor authorised by any legitimate organ of the party.
Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to Interim National Chairman Nenadi Usman, issued a statement on Tuesday describing those behind the protest as “political impersonators.”
The statement reads, “The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to an invitation circulating in certain quarters regarding a purported protest scheduled for August 6, 2025, at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“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 party further pointed to INEC’s recent dismissal of the list of candidates submitted by Julius Abure’s camp, branding the submission as “illegitimate.” It called on INEC to abide by the Supreme Court ruling delivered on April 4, 2025, which declared that Abure’s tenure as chairman of the party ended on June 8, 2023.
The Labour Party continues to be embroiled in a protracted leadership crisis, which escalated in July when the National Executive Committee, chaired by Governor Alex Otti, appointed Nenadi Usman as Interim National Chairman and Darlington Nwokocha as Interim National Secretary.
