The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it no longer recognizes Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), labeling his continued claim to the position as “illegal and unconstitutional.”
This position was made clear in a counter-affidavit submitted by Ayuba Mohammed, an Executive Officer in INEC’s Litigation and Prosecution Department, in response to a legal suit filed by the Labour Party (Suit NO. FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024).
The party had challenged its exclusion from INEC’s training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
The conflict stems from the expiration of Abure’s tenure on June 9, 2024, as confirmed by the Labour Party’s Board of Trustees Secretary, Salisu Mohammad.
INEC contended that it did not monitor or acknowledge the Labour Party’s National Convention held in Anambra on March 27, 2024, where Abure claimed to have been re-elected as chairman.
According to INEC, Abure’s leadership and the convention itself violated the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act. The commission asserted that it only engages with political parties that have lawful leadership in place.
INEC’s legal team, led by Tanko Inuwa, SAN, further argued that the Labour Party had failed to meet legal requirements for holding its national convention, rendering its leadership invalid.
INEC urged the court to dismiss the Labour Party’s lawsuit, stating that the party was not entitled to the reliefs it sought.