(DDM) – Factional Labour Party (LP) National Chairman, Julius Abure, has dismissed claims suggesting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) no longer recognises his leadership.
DDM gathered that Abure, through a statement released by the National Publicity Secretary of his faction, Obiora Ifoh, described the reports as deliberate misrepresentation of recent court rulings.
He accused the Senator Nenadi Usman-led faction of spreading “false news” about the party’s leadership crisis.
According to Abure, the Federal High Court’s decisions delivered on August 15, 2025, were twisted by his opponents to create confusion.
He argued that the Usman-led camp is only celebrating because they want the Labour Party to collapse.
The statement clarified that the Labour Party remains intact under Abure’s leadership and urged INEC not to be complicit in efforts to sideline the party.
Abure further insisted that the Supreme Court never declared him unfit to be chairman nor nullified the March 2024 convention in Nnewi.
Rather, the apex court ruled that leadership issues in political parties are internal matters to be resolved through party mechanisms.
Obiora Ifoh explained that two cases were dismissed at the Federal High Court on Friday.
The first case was filed by Nenadi Usman through Chris Omofuma, her alleged candidate in the Edo by-election.
The second was initiated by Abure and the Labour Party seeking judicial clarification.
In both suits, INEC appeared as respondent but only opposed Abure’s case, claiming it neither monitored nor recognised the March 2024 convention and that Abure’s tenure expired in June 2024.
The court dismissed Usman’s case, ruling that neither she nor Darlington Nwokocha had the authority to nominate candidates for elections.
It also declined jurisdiction in Abure’s suit, pointing to an earlier Supreme Court ruling affirming the supremacy of party structures in handling leadership disputes.
Despite the ruling, Abure maintained that his leadership remains legitimate.
He stressed that INEC’s counter-affidavit against him has repeatedly been rejected at different levels of the judiciary, including the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
The statement accused Usman’s group of misleading the public by celebrating a legal setback that does not alter the leadership status of the Labour Party.
Abure also reminded INEC of an interlocutory order from the Nasarawa State High Court delivered on July 23, 2025.
The order directed INEC to recognise Abure and Umar Farouk Ibrahim as the authentic leaders of the Labour Party pending the determination of ongoing cases.
He warned INEC not to disregard lawful court directives, urging Nigerians to resist any attempt to weaken democracy through manipulation of the LP crisis.
Abure called on party members to remain vigilant, peaceful, and committed to unity despite provocations.
He expressed optimism that the Labour Party would emerge stronger after the leadership tussle.
He also reassured supporters of key figures like Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti that the crisis will not derail the party’s long-term vision.
According to him, the LP leadership dispute is nearing resolution and the party will ultimately “smile at the end of the day.”
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📌 Suggested viral headline:
Labour Party war deepens as Abure rejects INEC, blames Usman
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