Bye-elections: Abure-led LP faction protests at INEC HQ

There was tension in Abuja on Wednesday as members of the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) staged a protest at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The protest was sparked by INEC’s refusal to publish the names of candidates submitted by the Abure group for the upcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and several National Assembly bye-elections.

Members chanted solidarity songs and waved placards with messages like “INEC should respect the rule of law” and “Stop killing democracy in Nigeria”.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party leadership has distanced itself from the protest, describing the protesters as “impostors” and “political impersonators” in a statement signed by Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to Interim National Chairman Nenadi Usman.

“The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to an invitation circulating in certain quarters regarding a purported protest scheduled to be held on 6th August 2025 at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the statement partly reads.

“This protest is allegedly being organised by some unknown individuals purportedly operating under the banner of the Labour Party. We wish to categorically state 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”, it added.

The party referenced INEC’s recent rejection of a list of candidates submitted by Julius Abure and his group, describing the submission as illegitimate.

It further urged INEC to act in line with the Supreme Court judgement of 4th April 2025, which affirmed that Abure’s tenure as party chairman expired on 8th June 2023.

However, with the 2027 general elections approaching, the ongoing division between the Abure-led bloc and the group aligned with Peter Obi, Nenadi, and Governor Otti casts uncertainty over the Labour Party’s unity and electoral readiness.

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