Supporters of the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) staged a major protest on Wednesday, August 6, at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
The civil society groups backing the Abure-led LP arrived around 11 a.m. for a peaceful demonstration.
They called on INEC to include their party’s candidates in the forthcoming nationwide by-elections.
The demonstrators carried placards and banners bearing bold messages such as, “INEC, who is using you against LP?”, “Mahmood, stop destroying democracy in Nigeria,” and “Tell INEC to obey court orders.”
The protest, which drew dozens of participants, reflects growing frustration within the party over what they describe as INEC’s alleged bias and disregard for court judgments.
Protesters accused the electoral commission of working against the LP’s interest by refusing to recognize candidates nominated by the Abure faction.
They insisted that INEC’s actions violated court rulings that upheld the legitimacy of Julius Abure’s leadership of the Labour Party.
According to the protesters, these court decisions should have guided the commission’s handling of LP’s internal matters and its candidates list.
“We’re here to defend democracy,” one protester shouted. “INEC must stop taking sides. Nigerians deserve a free and fair electoral process.”
The group also accused INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu of sabotaging the democratic process by excluding their faction’s candidates.
They called on President Bola Tinubu and the judiciary to compel INEC to respect legal pronouncements.
While the protest remained peaceful, tensions rose as protesters demanded immediate feedback from INEC officials.
Security personnel were seen monitoring the area to prevent any breakdown of order.
As of press time, INEC had not issued any official response to the protest.
More details shortly.
