The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday, withdrew its recognition of Julius Abure as National Chairman of the Labour Party, in line with the Supreme Court judgement of April 4, 2025.
The move, which appears to resolve the protracted leadership crisis ravaging the LP in favour of the faction supported by the party’s 2023 Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, elicited celebrations among party leaders last night.
The ululations were hinged on the support that the Acting National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman-led team would give Mr. Obi in the 2027 presidential poll.
Faced with an unsupportive stance from Abure, the former Anambra State Governor joined forces with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Malam Nasir el-Rufai among others to drive a coalition that chose the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a vehicle to challenge President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Even at that, it is difficult to tell if Obi would get the presidential ticket of the ADC as opposed to that of the LP led by Nenadi.
The electoral umpire”s decision has laid to rest the controversy generated by the conflicting interpretations of the Supreme Court Judgement by factions of the LP.
INEC’s position was contained in an affidavit sighted, in Abuja, on Friday.
The electoral management body also invalidated the controversial convention held by the Abure-led faction in Nnewi, Anambra State on March, 27, 2024.
INEC had in response to the affidavit filed by Abure’s legal team, filed a counter affidavit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1523/2025.
In its counter affidavit deposed to by its Executive Officer (Litigation and Prosecution), Mr. Ayuba Mohammed, INEC stated that the tenure of Julius Abure as National Chairman of LP had expired as clearly stated in the Supreme Court judgement of April 4, 2025.
Explaining INEC’s decisions in its dealings with Abure and the LP after then, Mohammed deposed that: “The defendant (INEC) cannot accept and issue access code for upload of candidates nomination forms EC9, EC9f and EC 9g for the bye-election scheduled for 16/8/2025 to plaintiff (Abure-led LP) as there were no valid National Chairman and National Secretary for defendants to deal with as provided in exhibit INEC 2.”
On the issue of the Nnewi Convention purportedly held by Abure, INEC affirmed that it neither monitored nor recognized the controversial March 27, 2024 “National Convention” in Nnewi, Anambra State, where Abure claimed he was re-elected, noting that the entire exercise was conducted in breach of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, INEC’s own guidelines, and the Labour Party’s constitution.
INEC also referenced the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025 judgment (Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025), which struck out the suit underpinning Abure’s claims for lack of jurisdiction, effectively nullifying all prior rulings that had purported to affirm his leadership.
Reacting, to the latest development, the Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, welcomed INEC’s stance and extended the olive branch to aggrieved party members urging them to join her in the task of rebuilding the party.
In a statement she issued in Abuja, Usman said: “I received with profound relief and deep satisfaction the news of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Suit No.
FHC/ABJ/CS/1523/2025, which today dismissed in its entirety the case instituted by Mr. Julius Abure against the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“This decision stands as yet another unambiguous and authoritative affirmation of the rule of law and the judiciary’s steadfast consistency in upholding the binding pronouncements of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“This latest judgment aligns squarely with the earlier decision of the Supreme Court, delivered on 4 April 2025 in Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025, which unequivocally nullified all previous recognitions of Mr. Abure’s purported leadership of the Labour Party. In its wisdom – and in strict adherence to the Supreme Court’s final pronouncement – the Federal High Court in Abuja rightly struck out the originating suit for want of jurisdiction. That decision of the apex court remains binding on all persons and authorities in Nigeria pursuant to Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I must also commend the Independent National Electoral Commission for the clarity, courage, and institutional integrity reflected in its counter-affidavit during the pendency of the case.
“In that sworn testimony before the court, INEC categorically confirmed that the tenure of Mr. Abure, along with that of the entire National Executive Committee, expired in June 2024.
“The Commission further affirmed that it neither monitored nor recognised the purported National Convention held in Nnewi on 27 March 2024, having found it to be in flagrant breach of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022, INEC’s own Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2022, and the Labour Party Constitution.
“This unequivocal position, rendered under oath by the nation’s electoral umpire before a competent court of law, removes all lingering doubts and reinforces the imperative for every member, officer, and stakeholder of our great party to submit, at all times, to the supremacy of our Constitution and the dictates of the rule of law.
“With this judgment – and INEC’s clear, unambiguous stance – it is time for all members of the Labour Party to put this needless distraction behind us and to recommit ourselves to the urgent task of rebuilding and repositioning our party into the credible, disciplined, and people-centred political movement that Nigerians deserve.
“Under my leadership as Interim National Chairman, I remain unwavering in my commitment to ensuring strict compliance with our party’s Constitution, entrenching transparent internal democratic processes, and restoring unity, discipline, and shared purpose as we prepare for the political contests ahead.”
Speaking in a similar vein, the party’s former National Treasurer, Mrs. Opara said the depos/tion “removes any lingering doubt” about the leadership question.
“This is a fresh, unequivocal statement under oath by the electoral umpire that Julius Abure is not the national chairman of the Labour Party. It aligns perfectly with the Supreme Court’s binding judgment. Nigerians should ignore any contrary propaganda,” she said.
She accused Abure of clinging to power “through publicity stunts” and urged members to focus on lawful processes.
“The law is clear: his tenure expired in June 2024, the Nnewi Convention was invalid, and the Supreme Court has spoken. This counter-affidavit is yet another nail in the coffin of these desperate claims,” she added.
The Electoral umpire may have finally laid to rest Abure’s claims and adamant posture in clinging to the leadership of the party even after the Apex Court had ruled.
In a quick response, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, LP’s sole state helmsman, hailed the INEC for recognizing the Senator Nenadi Usman-led leadership of the LP as the authentic leadership of the party.
Governor Otti described the action of INEC as a welcome development and long overdue.
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, the governor also commended all other agencies of government that assisted in ensuring that the judgment of the Supreme Court on the matter prevailed.
He said: “We are grateful to INEC. We are grateful to all the agencies of government that played one role or the other to ensure that the judgment of the Supreme Court was finally respected.
“It was long overdue, it was long expected. When you look at what transpired in court, when you look at even what INEC filed, a counter-affidavit, firmly explaining and insisting that Julius Abure’s tenure had expired and he had no locus to impose himself as the national chairman of the party.
“So, what INEC did is to ensure that order is restored; that normalcy is restored; that peace is restored; that cohesion and togetherness is achieved.
“With what has happened, we begin the process of reconciliation and restoration and begin to head to the right direction. We have no issues. Members have been very enthusiastic about it. They want our party to be peaceful. They want us to work like a family. And, of course, we are going to begin that process.”
He urged Abure to embrace peace and join the progressives in the on-going efforts to rebuild the party.
“If they (Abure and his followers) are desirous of moving our party forward, they should join hands with all the progressives that are in the party to ensure that we get to the right direction.
“The decision of INEC, of course, is very much in tandem with the Supreme Court judgment, which earlier de-recognized Abure and firmly stated that Abure’s tenure had expired and we had expected Abure to respect the judgment of the Supreme Court.
“He didn’t actually need to wait for INEC to do what they just did. But since he decided to wait, now finally INEC has decided to respect the Supreme Court’s judgment, which is in tandem with our laws. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and once the Supreme Court speaks, everybody is expected to respect and adhere strictly to whatever the Supreme Court has said. So, we are happy.
“Abure and his group are expected to join hands with other progressives in the party to move our party forward. LP is a group of progressives.
“Abure and co may have erred but then the leadership of the party will decide what will be their fate. But if they are progressives, they should desist from causing confusion.”
VANGUARD
