2 weeks Ago By Abimbola Falana
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that it no longer recognizes Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), calling his claim to the position “illegal and unconstitutional.” This position was revealed in a counter-affidavit submitted by Ayuba Mohammed, an executive officer in INEC’s Litigation and Prosecution Department. The affidavit was filed in response to a legal suit (Suit No.
FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024) initiated by the Labour Party, which had contested its exclusion from INEC’s training program for uploading party agents ahead of the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo. The dispute is linked to the expiration of Abure’s tenure on June 9, 2024, as confirmed by the Secretary of the Labour Party’s Board of Trustees, Salisu Mohammad. INEC argued 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.
The commission stated that both Abure’s leadership and the convention violated the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act, and it only engages with political parties with lawful leadership. INEC’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Tanko Inuwa, further argued that the Labour Party did not meet the legal requirements for holding its national convention, making its leadership invalid. INEC has asked the court to dismiss the Labour Party’s lawsuit, asserting that the party is not entitled to the reliefs it is seeking.
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