INEC Declares Julius Abure’s Tenure as Labour Party Chairman Invalid

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared it illegal and unconstitutional for Julius Abure to continue presenting himself as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

The commission announced that it no longer recognises Abure or other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) since their tenures expired in June 2024.

This stance was revealed in a counter-affidavit filed by INEC in response to a lawsuit brought by the Labour Party, which had challenged its exclusion from the commission’s refresher training on the uploading of party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

INEC argued that the Labour Party’s leadership, including Abure, is no longer valid, stating that it does not recognise the party’s National Convention held in March 2024, which purportedly re-elected Abure as chairman.

The commission maintained that the convention violated both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act, and stressed that it only engages with political parties that have legitimate leadership in place.

In a written submission supporting the counter-affidavit, INEC’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Tanko Inuwa, argued that the Labour Party’s suit seeks declaratory reliefs that cannot be granted based solely on admission.

They emphasised that the party must prove its case, regardless of the admissions made.

Furthermore, INEC’s lawyers highlighted that the Labour Party failed to comply with legal requirements in holding its national convention, rendering its leadership invalid.

As a result, the commission stated that it could no longer engage with the party’s leadership.

INEC requested that the court dismiss the Labour Party’s lawsuit, arguing that the party is not entitled to the reliefs it seeks due to its failure to meet legal and constitutional obligations.