The Julius Abure-led leadership of the Labour Party has rejected reports suggesting that the Independent National Electoral Commission is opposed to its continued leadership. The party said the reports were false and aimed at confusing the public.
The clarification was issued on Saturday in Abuja through a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh. The statement was a response to comments credited to a faction linked to Abia State Governor Alex Otti and former minister Nenadi Usman.
According to the party, the controversy followed an earlier statement by INEC explaining why it withheld access codes from the Labour Party ahead of the February 18, 2026, FCT Area Council elections. The Abure-led leadership said INEC’s decision was based solely on unresolved legal cases connected to the election and not on any issue relating to party leadership.
The statement accused Senator Darlington Nwokocha, described as a suspended member, of wrongly presenting himself as speaking for a caretaker committee that the party said does not exist. It added that the interpretation given by Nwokocha was misleading and did not reflect the content of INEC’s position.
The party maintained that there is no vacancy in its National Secretariat and insisted that its leadership remains intact. It also stated that its relationship with INEC has been restored under the current leadership of the electoral body, noting that the commission continues to engage with the party.
To support its position, the Labour Party listed several interactions with INEC, including participation in consultative meetings with political parties, involvement in preparations for the 2026 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, and INEC’s monitoring of the party’s meetings and congresses across the country.
The statement also urged the opposing faction to move on, noting that Peter Obi, the party’s former presidential candidate, has left the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress. It suggested that those aligned with him should follow the same path.
The development comes amid ongoing leadership disputes within the Labour Party, which intensified after Obi’s exit. A faction led by Nenadi Usman recently endorsed Abia State Governor Alex Otti as the party’s national leader and claimed that a Supreme Court judgment had removed Abure from office, a position the Abure-led group has firmly denied.
The party concluded by restating that INEC’s actions were linked only to pending court cases and not to any rejection of its leadership.
CLICK THE LINK TO READ FULL LIST
- Advertisement -
Comments are closed.