₦airaland Forum

Labour Party cries foul over alleged manipulation by LASIEC, INEC ahead of Lagos LG polls

In a dramatic and highly charged confrontation with the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), members of the Labour Party (LP) have accused both LASIEC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of acting in bad faith and compromising the electoral process ahead of the forthcoming local government elections.

Speaking on behalf of the Labour Party faction loyal to the Caretaker Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, Hon. Nifemi Adeyemi, who is contesting for the position of Chairman of Ikorodu West Local Government under the Labour Party, made damning allegations about the integrity of the electoral institutions.

He said: “This is to notify the general public that LASIEC Lagos is no longer an independent body. LASIEC Lagos is a corrupt entity. INEC is a corrupt entity. INEC is no longer an independent body,” Adeyemi declared during a press briefing at the LASIEC office in Lagos.

According to Adeyemi, despite the current leadership of the party in the person of Usman, LASIEC shockingly issued nomination forms to a rival faction that had already been sacked by the apex court.

“To our greatest surprise, yesterday LASIEC gave a nomination form to a different faction. A faction that was sacked from the Labour Party by the Supreme Court… Nigeria has become a lawless country,” he said.

Adeyemi further claimed that while LASIEC Chairman Mrs. Bola Okikiolu allegedly told their delegation she acted on instructions from Abuja, officials at INEC headquarters denied issuing such directives.

“Our lawyer is in Abuja. They are telling our lawyer that they didn’t give any directive,” he lamented.

Also, Comrade Titi Oworu, the Lagos State Labour Party Women Leader under the caretaker committee led by Rotimi Odunaike, said their faction came to collect nomination forms as a matter of fairness and legality.

“There’s a letter saying that we have four factions, and they [INEC] are not going to deal with any faction until there’s an acknowledgement on the 9th of June. So everybody is meant to wait until then,” Oworu stated.

“They are giving A. So they should give the rest. Give the four of us,” she demanded, emphasizing that all factions had paid and should be treated equally.

Her frustration was evident as she recounted waiting at the LASIEC office since 9 a.m. without seeing any official document justifying the selective issuance of nomination forms.

“They are not giving us answers… We are coming back on Monday with all our members, all the candidates, all the escorts,” she vowed.

Comrade Onafowokan Gbenga, Assistant General Secretary of the Lagos State Caretaker Committee, added to the storm of accusations, noting that the actions of LASIEC could render the entire electoral process null and void.

“There is a Supreme Court ruling over this case… if they take this matter down to court after the election process, they will nullify all the candidates that come out of that account. That means they are actually working for APC,” he alleged.

He argued that if INEC or LASIEC had interpreted the Supreme Court’s ruling, they must present a written statement to that effect, insisting: “If they don’t give us a letter to that effect, they should give us our own forms too. Because we are ready to pay.”

The party members called for transparency and accountability in the process, warning against what they called a “deliberate plan to disenfranchise the Labour Party” in Lagos State.

“This is a game to disenfranchise the Labour Party in Lagos State. But we will not allow that. It will not hold. Because Nigeria will not become a one-party state,” Mr. Adeyemi concluded.

Also, a statement earlier released by the Lagos State caretaker committee stated that a letter signed by Bola Ikgile which was addressed to Rotimi Odunaike, stated that no faction of the Labour Party will be given nomination forms until there is a clear clarification from INEC but based on a twist of events the caretaker committee stated that LASIEC had now given the forms to another faction.

The statement reads: “LASIEC had by its earlier letter signed by Bola Ikgile and addressed to Rotimi Odunaike, the Lagos State caretaker committee of Lagos State stated that no faction of the Labour Party will be given nomination forms until there is a clear clarification from INEC but in a twist of events and without any clarification from INEC, LASIEC had now given the forms to another faction in clear disobedience to the Supreme Court judgement.

“It is sad that LASIEC headed by a retired judge will engage in such illegal and barbaric actions because of political expediency as there have been rumors of money exchanging hands between LASIEC and the other faction.

“All our demands for LASIEC to produce INEC letter which authorized them to issue nomination forms to the other faction were rebuffed and we strongly believe there’s no such letter and that’s why LASIEC has refused to produce it.

“This is to call the attention of all Lagosians that LASIEC has been compromised and they should expect any free and fair local government elections.”

As the June 9 INEC deadline looms for resolving the internal crisis within the Labour Party, pressure is mounting on both LASIEC and INEC to clarify their actions and ensure the integrity of the upcoming local elections in Lagos.

The Lagos State Government and relevant national electoral bodies have yet to officially respond to the allegations.

However, the episode underscores the growing public distrust in electoral institutions and the legal complexities surrounding party factionalism in Nigeria’s fragile democratic landscape.

https://thesun.ng/labour-party-cries-foul-over-alleged-manipulation-by-lasiec-inec-ahead-of-lagos-lg-polls/?amp

YoshiMaster:
Caught red handed, live and direct


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGCvXTISNns

Bad guy. see the way the Ronus & Agbadorians rushed to see how Obi was caught 🤣🤣🤣.
you know the only way to drive traffic is to just mention Obi.

Nigerians, I tire for Una ooo.
The 7 Trillion Naira smuggle into the budget is not their problem but Peter Obi.
They left the message of corruption issues identified by Peter Obi in the budget to attack the person who call out corruption!
I WEEP FOR NIGERIANS!

The Labour Party has held an emergency NEC meeting to resolve its leadership crisis, following a Supreme Court ruling and ongoing legal disputes within the party.

The Labour Party on Tuesday convened an extraordinary meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) to address the lingering leadership crisis that has rocked the party since early 2023.

Opening the session, key stakeholders expressed commitment to restoring legality and internal democracy in the party’s leadership structure. The crisis escalated into a series of court cases, culminating in a Supreme Court judgment on April 4, 2025. The apex court nullified earlier decisions from lower courts and confirmed that the tenure of the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee had expired.

Participants at the meeting strongly condemned a controversial town hall event held in Anambra State on March 27, 2024, which the Abure-led faction described as a national convention. According to the Labour Party Constitution, the 2022 Electoral Act, and a 2023 Federal High Court consent judgment, the gathering did not meet the legal requirements for a valid convention or leadership election.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8ePnHLp9DI?si=EhNdcCcMh_qgsqiU

The Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives has advised security agencies, especially the police, to stop shielding the former party chairman, Julius Abure, and his cohorts as the Attorney-General recommends Abure’s Prosecution for fraud.
The caucus leader, Hon. Afam Ogene in a statement, said the caucus members have been vindicated in their allegations against Abure following recent recommendation by Attorney General over alleged crimes including criminal conspiracy, perjury, and forgery.

The federal lawmaker has consistently questioned the embattled former national LP chairman’s moral authority to lead the party, particularly following the recent Supreme Court pronouncement and numerous allegations of malfeasance against him.

The Attorney General made the recommendations for Abure’s prosecution by the Nigeria Police on March 7, 2025, according to a letter from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation to the Inspector General of Police. This followed a petition by the party’s governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, which was substantiated by investigations.
Both the police and the Attorney General’s office, according to a letter to the IGP, dated March 7, 2025, and signed by M.B. Abubakar, Director, Public Prosecutions of the Federation, found merit in the petition, leading to the recommendation for prosecution.
His words: “Consequently, I am directed to transmit the case file back to the Nigeria Police Force for prosecution…”

However, Hon. Ogene said that more than two months after the clear instructions of the Attorney General of the Federation for the prosecution of the accused, the Police appear to be foot-dragging in carrying out it’s constitutional responsibility.

The caucus leader lamented that “the lethargic disposition appears to be in tandem with the handling of the matter since it was instituted over three years ago.
“In fact, in a March 9, 2023, investigation report authored by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Junaid Bukar, the Police rued the fact that “some of the suspects have vehemently refused to report to exercise their right to fair hearing, despite writing them four different letters.

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“This in itself is an affront to constituted authority, as well as blatant disregard to law and order,” ACP Bukar had said.
It said an aggrieved governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, Splendour Oko Eze, had accused Abure, Farouk Umar Ibrahim, Nkwegu Edward Okereke, and Ojukwu Clement of criminally substituting his name at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), after he lawfully won the governorship primary election in Ebonyi State.

Specifically, he alleged that they forged his signature and party registration card to support a purported affidavit claiming his withdrawal from the race.

Hon. Ogene stated that this development vindicates his stance that Abure’s leadership of the party was marred by corruption and unfair manipulation of internal election processes for selfish reasons and therefore, urged the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the suspects are brought to justice, to serve as a deterrent to other political leaders with similar intentions that undermine democracy.

According to the lawmaker the document was very explicit in paragraph 2 (i) which stated thusly: “The investigation report concludes that the four suspects conspired and participated in commiting the alleged offences, thereby establishing a prima facie case of criminal conspiracy, forgery, using as genuine a false document, giving false evidence and false declaration.”

Paragraph three of the letter also requested that they be prosecuted and a periodic report about the prosecution provided to the office of the Attorney General by the Police.

https://independent.ng/stop-shielding-abure-his-cohorts-lp-caucus-advises-police/

Labour Party Youth Leader Faults INEC's Delay In Enforcing Supreme Court’s Judgment

https://www.nairaland.com/8429041/labour-party-youth-leader-faults

Abia State Labour Party leader and youth advocate, Mr. Nwabueze Onwuneme, has condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its refusal to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling that nullified Julius Abure’s chairmanship of the Labour Party.

Onwuneme urged INEC to immediately enforce the apex court’s judgment.

He noted that Abia State Governor, Mr. Alex Otti, submitted a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the ruling to INEC more than three weeks ago, yet no action has been taken.

He expressed concern over the ongoing confusion within the party, highlighting Lagos State where members remain unsure which faction’s candidates to present ahead of upcoming local government elections.

“INEC must not fold its arms. The commission must act swiftly to uphold the court’s decision and restore order within the party,” Onwuneme stressed.

The youth leader stressed that obedience to the rule of law is the foundation of any functioning democracy, warning that selective compliance with court decisions undermines public confidence in the justice system.

“When a judgment of the Supreme Court is ignored, it sets a dangerous precedent and weakens the authority of the judiciary,” he said.

He further noted that INEC, as a statutory body, is duty-bound to uphold the Constitution and decisions of superior courts. Failure to do so, he warned, could fuel impunity and internal anarchy within political parties, eroding democratic norms and threatening electoral integrity.

“INEC cannot afford to appear complicit or indifferent. The Supreme Court is the final arbiter in legal disputes, and its decisions must be implemented fully and without delay,” Onwuneme added.

His comments came after Abure’s recent threats at what Onwuneme described as an “illegal stakeholders meeting” at the Labour Party’s national secretariat in Utako.

At the meeting, Abure warned that Peter Obi and Governor Otti would “smell like rotten eggs” if he revealed damaging details about the party’s campaign funds.

Onwuneme responded by calling Abure “an impostor” who shows blatant disregard for the judiciary and the Supreme Court ruling.

“In any other country, he would be jailed for contempt of court. He is morally unfit to criticize anyone,” he said.

He further described Abure as “a general without troops,” whose only political survival tactic is to attack respected figures like Peter Obi and Governor Otti, both known for their public service records.

Onwuneme challenged Abure to substantiate his claims with facts rather than resorting to threats, and reiterated his call for INEC to enforce the court’s ruling and end Abure’s “theatrical gimmicks.”

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2025/05/18/labour-party-youth-leader-faults-inecs-delay-in-enforcing-supreme-courts-judgment/?amp

Labour Party Leadership Tussle: Is Nigeria drifting to one Party state?.

Lagos LG Election: Three LP Factions Invite LASIEC To Monitor Primaries.

The chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd.), has said that there are three factions of the Labour Party in Lagos.

She made this known during a stakeholders forum in Ikeja on Thursday.

She said three factions of the party invited LASIEC to observe their primaries in respect to the upcoming July 12 local government elections in the state.

“Three factions of the Labour Party in Lagos invited us to observe their primaries,” the chairman said.

According to her, LASIEC officials did not honour the invitation due to the perceived division in the party.

Ighile said the state electoral body would be waiting for the advice of the Independent National Electoral Commission on the next step in the development of the LP.

https://www.nairaland.com/8427132/lagos-lg-election-three-lp

ERockson:
Now I know after Tinubu, Wike is the most powerful politician in Nigeria

Didn't you watch the video where Wike said he is bigger than Tinubu.
"He said who is Tinubu other than me"
Video here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18yd3bdSFf/

Lifestylecom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLTZb5muPSY

Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State said Not everyone must be in the APC; this is a democracy, and sometimes you must stand for something. I can't say I wouldn't leave the Labour Party; what if the party is non-existent tomorrow? As of now, we have fought for and retrieved the Labour Party; all Abure is doing is posturing.

I pity those Aspirant who has already paid to Abure for Anambra & FCT elections. Their money do enter voicemail oooo

I don't know who is deceiving Abure & urging him on even after the supreme court has asked him to go

The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has warned that Nigeria is facing a deeper economic regression than many realise, stating that with a current GDP per capita of just $824, Nigerians are significantly worse off than they were at independence in 1960.

President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s economic growth, describing it as anaemic.

He noted that the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita plummeted from $1,847 at independence to $824 in 2024, a staggering decline that puts its economic future at risk.

Adesina spoke while delivering a keynote address titled “Reimagining Nigeria by 2050,” delivered at the 20th Anniversary Dinner of Chapel Hill Denham.

He observed that 25 years after independence, Nigeria’s GDP per capita had declined to $868, though grew to $2,120 by 2010, it has since dropped to its lowest point in 2024.

Adesina said several factors contribute to the trend, including a lack of bold economic growth policies, frequent policy reversals, weak economic governance, poor fiscal discipline, and over-reliance on crude oil.

He pointed out that the poor quality of infrastructure, limited industrial manufacturing, and persistent currency devaluation were also major challenges.

The AfDB boss added that weak institutions, glaring disconnects in macro and fiscal policies, and stagflation with high inflation, slow growth, and high unemployment have all contributed to the nation’s economic woes.

Comparing Nigeria’s economic trajectory to that of South Korea, Adesina pointed out that the Asian nation’s GDP per capita rose from $158 in 1960 to $36,132 in 2024, 43 times that of Nigeria.

He attributed South Korea’s success to its domestic savings pool, which boosted economic growth, revealing that Nigeria’s pension fund size is only $13 billion compared to South Korea’s $830 billion.

According to him, the stark contrast indicates the vast difference in economic outcomes between the two countries.

Adesina emphasised that Nigeria belongs to the developed League of Nations and must power itself to become a developed country in the next 25 years.

He stressed the need for a mindset change, shifting from accepting underdevelopment as a reality to fast-tracking wealth-creating growth for its population.

Adesina said anything short of this goal is unacceptable, stating that Nigeria must take bold steps to ensure its economic future is bright.

He, therefore, outlined a comprehensive blueprint for the country’s transformation by 2050, which centred around five critical priorities.

According to Adesina, universal access to reliable and affordable electricity is non-negotiable, requiring substantial private sector investment in the energy sector through cost-reflective tariffs, transparent power purchase agreements, and blended finance initiatives.

He urged Nigeria to participate in the AfDB and World Bank’s Mission 300 to accelerate electrification efforts.

Adesina emphasised the need for world-class infrastructure, including transportation networks, digital connectivity, and essential social infrastructure, to attract investment and enhance competitiveness within the African Continental Free Trade Area.

He called for the strategic deployment of pension and sovereign wealth funds into infrastructure, alongside innovative financing mechanisms, and the deepening of local capital markets.

To ignite industrialisation, Adesina stressed the importance of building a strong and competitive industrial manufacturing sector, mirroring the success of Asian powerhouses like South Korea, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

https://guardian.ng/news/adesina-decries-nigerias-gdp-decline-poor-fiscal-discipline/

Nawa ooo
Oba should stop forcing those who are not Benin to his kingdom.
They say they're Igbos, why forcing them to adopt Beni while they're not.

The agbadorians & APC online 30K warriors are already complaining.
Good governance is toxic to their souls.

AdesegunSanni89:
Peter Obi derives pleasure in demarketing Nigeria at the global stage. The negative image he is giving Nigeria will not only affect APC supporters but also his obidient followers.

People like you Fela Kuti was talking to in his Song:

Every day my people dey inside bus (Suffering and smiling)
Every day my people dey inside bus (Suffering and smiling)
Forty-nine sitting, ninety-nine standing (Suffering and smiling)
Dem go pack demselves in like sardine (Suffering and smiling)
Dem dey faint, dem dey wake like cock (Suffering and smiling)
Dem go reach house, water no dey (Suffering and smiling)
Dem go reach bed, power no dey (Suffering and smiling)
Dem go reach road, go-slow go come (Suffering and smiling

REDshouse:
Its only in Nigeria and Africa that a bitter presidential aspirant will run to foreign media to cast and talk bad about their country...waiting for a day when US or Uk aspirants will rush to Nigeria or Africa media to do same....

Suffering & Smiling - Great Fela

Abia is Lucky to have Alex Otti as governor

Oluwazeezu:
na by force

I wonder ooo
All of a sudden everyone is so caring about the South East & her youths. These are the same people shouting kill them, kill them all, during the python & crocodile dance.

IPIGSRSHALLOW:
They will come to cry marginalization years later.
They are more interested in drug business right now. Small work with quick large money.
Many years from now, they will cry that too many Fulanis in the Army.

Oga, keep your concern to yourself, its not needed.

If its from private pocket no problem.
Tell us how much government officials spend on medical tourism starting from Tinubu

Abure, Abure Abure.
Lamidi Apapa treatment loading ooo

ABUJA – The crisis in the labour party predates the aftermath of the 2023 general elections. In fact, long before 2022 when Peter Gregory Obi emerged as the party’s flag bearer in the election in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Professor Mahmood Yakubu leadership declared APC Bola Tinubu as winner, Labour Party had suffered leadership disputes and allegations of misconduct.

But soon after the elections, the crisis in the party took a bizarre turn when some members, led by Lamidi Apapa, accused the National Chairman, Julius Abure, of forgery and fraud.

The Lamidi faction went on to obtain a court order from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court restraining Abure from parading himself as the party’s chairman. It didn’t stop there as the faction took over control of the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

But Abure later contested the court ruling at the Appeal Court and won. To mediate in the crisis, the party’s flag bearer and its national leader, Obi requested that an audit of the party’s finances be conducted to put to rest the wild allegations of malfeasance hovering in the air and eroding people’s confidence in LP.

Within this period, Abure faced another backlash in Benin, Edo State, where he was arrested by the police for allegedly possessing firearms and being involved in forgery.

No sooner had he survived these onslaughts than the Nigeria Labour Congress picketed the party’s headquarters, demanding his resignation for allegedly planning a self-serving national convention that did not honour a pre-2023 peace accord entered into by stakeholders in the LP project. It was the political wing of the NLC otherwise considered as its political commission that leveled the accusation against Abure.

Whilst the commission, spearheading the picketing of LP headquarters under the watchful eyes and inspiration of NLC President, Joe Ajaero, accused Abure of financial recklessness and disrespect for the congress leadership, Abure remain unfaced.

Few days later, precisely in March 2024, he went ahead to hold a national convention at Nnewi, in Anambra State, where his sympathisers returned him as the national chairman of the party.

Without saying, the convention was held amid calls from such as Peter Obi and other party chieftains who demanded a hold in favour of wider consultation and stakeholder engagement.

But Abure, in defiance, pushed his way through, thereby doing more damage to the hurt already being endured by the party. The consequence of his defiance is captured in the words of Yunusa Tanko, spokesperson of LP campaign organisation in the general election, who said the national convention achieved the opposite of being an avenue to strengthen the party’s structure by mobilising members from ward level to local government, and up to the national level.

From the convention, all loyalists of Abure, who contested offices, were returned unopposed while only the offices reserved for the Trade Union congress (TUC) and the NLC were untouched by Abure’s team.

The expressed rejection of the congress was evident. The party’s presidential candidate, Obi, its only state governor, Alex Otti of Abia State, as well as federal legislators elected on its platform were all absent, signalling the beginning of an end for the Abure led National Working Committee (NWC) of LP, especially as INEC claimed not to have monitored the exercise.

In a manner of speaking, analysts said it was an exercise in futility meant to endorse a wouldbe emperor. In response to these actions by a few persons led by Abure, the party held a NEC/Extended Stakeholders meeting at Government House Umuahia following which it announced the composition of a 29-member Caretaker Committee headed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman as Chairman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha as Secretary.

The committee’s mandate was to midwife an election of a new leadership of the party within 90 days. The terms of reference include ensuring the conduct of Ward, Local Government, State Congresses and National Convention as soon as possible and in accordance with the constitution of the party.

Amid this, in November 2024, Justice Hamma Barka in what Abuja based lawyer, Barr John Onyemachukwu, described as error in judgment, upheld Abure as the authentic national chairman of the LP.

According to Barr Onyemachukwu, “That was a landmark error in judgment. Issues of leadership of political parties are internal matters that are resolved by the party itself. It is not a decision for the court to deliver as to who is the chairman of a political party.

“Mind you, these parties have their constitution. And the constitution provides clear guidelines and processes as to how a principal officer of the party, even the chairman, is to emerge. “The same constitution, I am sure, outlines the modalities for resolving controversies that may emerge therein.”

The legal journey from the Federal High Court in Abuja to the Court of Appeal was eventually decided, Friday, by the Supreme Court which sacked the national chairman, Abure, insisting that the Appeal Court operated outside its jurisdiction.

In a unanimous decision, the five-member panel of the apex court ruled that the Appeals Court lacked jurisdiction to declare Abure chairman after determining that the case centered on the party’s leadership dispute.

The judgment also upheld the appeal filed by Senator Nenadi Usman and another appellants, deeming it meritorious.

The Supreme Court ruling therefore put paid to the controversy as to whether internal party affairs such as leadership issues should be resolved internally without judicial intervention, or externally with the help of the judiciary.

Reacting to the Supreme Court judgment, Senator Nenadi Usman, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, described Abure`s removal as a victory for the rule of law and a significant milestone for the nation’s democracy.

She said LP remains steadfast in its mission to create a new Nigeria, adding that the recent ruling by the Apex Court, which allowed her appeal, declaring it meritorious, while dismissing the cross-appeal filed by the Abure faction of the Labour Party as unmeritorious, is a victory for the rule of law and a significant milestone for our democracy.

“It is important to emphasize that this is not a time for triumphalism, there is no victor and no vanquished. What matters most is our shared commitment to the ideals and aspirations of the Labour Party and the Nigerian people. We must now come together, united in purpose and vision, to move the party forward.

“The Labour Party remains one indivisible family, steadfast in its mission to create a New Nigeria founded on justice, equity, and people-centered governance. “We call on all party members, supporters, and stakeholders to remain calm, focused, and committed to the democratic ideals that bind us.”

https://independent.ng/lp-leadership-why-abure-lost-the-fight/

How Abure sued INEC to court over the Labour Party leadership tussle.

The court case between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Julius Abure centers on a prolonged leadership dispute within the Labour Party (LP) in Nigeria, particularly regarding Abure's claim to the position of National Chairman. Here’s a clear explanation of the situation based on available information up to April 4, 2025.


BACKGROUND
Julius Abure had been a central figure in the Labour Party, claiming the role of National Chairman following a series of internal party processes, including a National Convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on March 27, 2024, where he was purportedly re-elected. However, INEC challenged the legitimacy of this leadership, asserting that Abure’s tenure, along with that of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), had expired in June 2024. INEC argued that the Nnewi convention violated the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the Labour Party’s own constitution, claiming it did not monitor or recognize the event. This stance led INEC to declare Abure’s continued claim to the chairmanship as "illegal and unconstitutional" in a counter-affidavit filed in September 2024.


THE LEGAL BATTLE
The dispute escalated into a legal confrontation when the Labour Party, under Abure’s leadership, sued INEC (case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024) after being excluded from INEC’s refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections in 2024. Abure sought court orders to compel INEC to recognize his leadership and grant the Labour Party all rights and privileges accorded to a registered political party.


FEDERAL HIGH COURT RULING (OCTOBER 8, 2024):
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled in favor of Abure, affirming his leadership and the validity of the Nnewi convention. The court ordered INEC to recognize Abure as the National Chairman and provide the party access to its portal for the Ondo election, dismissing INEC’s objections as insufficient to invalidate Abure’s position. INEC complied with this order by October 17, 2024, inviting Abure to consultative meetings with political parties.

COURT OF APPEAL DEVELOPMENTS:
The situation grew more complex as appeals were filed. On November 13, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Abuja (case CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024) upheld Abure’s chairmanship in a related case against Olusola Nehemiah Ebiseni. However, on January 17, 2025, the same court, in two separate appeals (CA/ABJ/CA/1217/2024 and CA/ABJ/CV/1232/2024) brought by Senator Nenadi Usman and INEC respectively, reversed the Federal High Court’s October 8 ruling. Justice Hamma Barka’s panel held that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to determine the Labour Party’s leadership, as it was an internal party matter. The judgment set aside the recognition of Abure, declaring the issue non-justiciable by courts.


SUPREME COURT RULING RULING (APRIL 3, 2025):
The most recent development came when the Supreme Court of Nigeria unanimously set aside the Court of Appeal’s earlier ruling that had recognized Abure as chairman. In appeals filed by Senator Nenadi Usman and another party, a five-member panel ruled that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction to pronounce Abure as chairman, reaffirming that leadership disputes are internal party affairs beyond judicial oversight. The court allowed Usman’s appeal, dismissed Abure’s cross-appeal as unmeritorious, and effectively returned the matter to the Labour Party for internal resolution.

IMPLICATIONS
The Supreme Court’s decision does not explicitly remove Abure or install a new chairman but nullifies court-based recognition of his leadership. It resets the situation to a pre-litigation state, meaning the Labour Party must resolve its leadership internally, likely through a convention or consensus, without court interference. INEC’s initial stance—that Abure’s tenure expired in June 2024—regains relevance, though the commission must now await the party’s internal decision unless new legal issues arise.

In summary, the case between INEC and Abure reflects a tug-of-war over legitimacy, with INEC challenging Abure’s leadership and courts ultimately deciding they cannot settle such disputes. As of April 4, 2025, Abure’s status as chairman hinges on the Labour Party’s next internal move rather than judicial backing.

Bobodee09:
Lol......even kanu parent died and Buhari is still alive.

God no be man

Just a little Time.
Why this my comments come pain you like this 🤣🤣😅😅