August 16 by-elections: LP faction disowns planned protest

The decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exclude Labour Party candidates from the upcoming Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and by-elections scheduled in about 12 states on August 16 is further widening the division within the LP.

While the candidates who emerged through the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Mr Julius Abure announced on Tuesday that they would march to the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday to protest their exclusion, the interim leadership of the LP under Senator Nenadi Usman immediately distanced itself from the protest.

The candidates had disclosed that they would begin marching on the INEC office from 9:30 a.m. in the company of some civil society organisations to express their displeasure to the electoral umpire.

However, the spokesman to Senator Usman, Mr Ken Asogwa, in a statement, alerted INEC and security agencies to the protest, saying that the planners did not have the backing of the party.

He said the LP “categorically states 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.”

Asogwa added, “The public is hereby put on notice that anyone participating in or promoting this protest is doing so without the consent of the Labour Party and should be seen as an impostor.

“It would be recalled that INEC recently rejected the illegitimate list of candidates for the upcoming national bye-elections and local council elections submitted by the former chairman of the party, Barr. Julius Abure, and his unlawful group.

“The Labour Party received that decision with relief, knowing that INEC – as a responsible electoral umpire – would eventually proceed to accept and publish the authentic list submitted by the current, lawful leadership of the party.”

The camp advised “INEC to remain steadfast and continue to disregard the desperate antics of these individuals whose tenures expired since 8th June 2023 – and whose expiration was expressly affirmed by the Supreme Court in its judgment of 4th April 2025.

“While we await INEC’s timely action in publishing the valid list of candidates submitted by the legitimate party leadership, we also call on the Commission to give full effect to the said Supreme Court ruling by updating its official portal and other platforms to reflect the correct leadership of the Labour Party in line with the court’s judgment.

“In light of the foregoing, we therefore call on all security agencies to take note: the persons planning to stage a protest at INEC headquarters on 6th August 2025 are not representatives of the Labour Party.

“They are political impersonators and mischief-makers, and should be treated as such. We call for their immediate arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.”

Earlier in the week, the Abure-led NWC had kicked against the exclusion, describing it as an abuse of power by INEC.

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The Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, had detailed the camp’s opposition to the decision, urging INEC to reverse itself as it acted in disobedience to the said April 4 Supreme Court judgment.

Ifoh had stated, “As a registered political party in Nigeria, Labour Party is very much aware of its rights as specified in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Acts 2022 as amended as regards to its powers to sponsor candidates in elections.

“The party is also aware that the INEC has no powers to either stop it from sponsoring candidates nor cherry pick elections where it deems fit for our party to field candidates.”

Ifoh argued, “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 the jurisdiction of the lower court and Court of Appeal.

“The Supreme Court did not rule on the substantive matter as courts, including the Supreme Court is bared from entertaining cases on the internal matters of any political party. The Supreme Court in its wisdom ruled that parties should resolve its problems within the available mechanism as provided by its constitutions.”

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