INEC Rejects Julius Abure’s Claim as Labour Party Chairman, Cites Constitutional Violations

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared that it no longer recognizes Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), describing his continued hold on the position as “illegal and unconstitutional.”

This stance was outlined in a counter-affidavit submitted by Ayuba Mohammed, an Executive Officer in INEC’s Litigation and Prosecution Department, in response to a lawsuit filed by the Labour Party (Suit NO. FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024).

The legal case stems from the party’s exclusion from INEC’s training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

The dispute centers around the expiration of Abure’s tenure on June 9, 2024, as confirmed by the party’s Board of Trustees Secretary, Salisu Mohammad. INEC argued that it did not recognize or monitor the Labour Party’s National Convention, which took place in Anambra on March 27, 2024, where Abure claimed to have been re-elected.

According to INEC, both the leadership and the convention violated the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act. The commission’s legal team, led by Tanko Inuwa, SAN, emphasized that the Labour Party failed to meet legal requirements for holding the convention, thus making Abure’s claim to leadership invalid.

INEC called for the dismissal of the Labour Party’s lawsuit, asserting that the party is not entitled to the reliefs it is seeking.