Labour Party

Civil society organisations aligned with the Julius Abure led faction of the Labour Party (LP) staged a protest at the National Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday, demanding the inclusion of the party’s candidates in the forthcoming nationwide bye-elections.

The demonstrators, who arrived at the INEC office around 11:00 a.m., carried placards with messages such as “INEC, who is using you against LP,” “Mahmood stop destroying democracy in Nigeria,” and “Tell INEC to obey court orders.” They called on the electoral body to comply with court rulings and recognise the Abure-led faction’s candidates.

But in a swift reaction, the leadership of the LP dissociated itself from the protest.

In a statement signed by Ken Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the party’s Interim National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, the party described the protesters as “impostors” and “political impersonators,” insisting that it had no hand in the demonstration.

The party further cautioned the public to disregard the protest, stressing that those involved did not represent the official position of the Labour Party.

The Supreme Court has set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which recognized Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

In a unanimous judgment on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court held that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to pronounce Abure as the National Chairman of the LP, having earlier determined that the substance of the case was about the party’s leadership.

The court ruled that issues of leadership are internal affairs of a political party over which courts lack jurisdiction and noted that Abure’s tenure had since expired.

The Supreme Court allowed the appeal filed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman and one other, declaring it meritorious.

It also dismissed the cross-appeal filed by the Abure faction of the LP for being unmeritorious.

Details shortly.

The Labour Party has officially distanced itself from the outcome of the recent stakeholders meeting held in Umuahia, which was summoned by Abia State Governor Alex Otti.

In a press release issued today, the party denounced the meeting as both illegal and unconstitutional.

The Labour Party stated that the gathering was not sanctioned by the party and therefore does not reflect its position or interests.

The Labour Party stated that the gathering was not sanctioned by the party and therefore does not reflect its position or interests.

The party urged its members and the general public to disregard any resolutions or statements that emerged from the meeting, reaffirming its commitment to upholding due process and constitutional governance.

“The Labour Party disowns the outcome of the Umuahia stakeholders meeting convened by Governor Alex Otti. The meeting is illegal and unconstitutional, and we urge our members to disregard any resolutions from this gathering,” the statement read.

The party reiterated its stance on following established legal and party procedures for any official decisions or actions, distancing itself from any activities that do not align with these principles.

Recall that the meeting had elected Senator Nenadi Usman as the interim national chairperson of the party.