INEC: Julius Abure is no longer recognised as Labour Party chairman

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it no longer recognised Julius Abure as national chairman of the Labour Party [LP].

The Commission declared as unconstitutional and illegal Abure’s continued portrayal of himself as the LP national chairman.

INEC declared that the Abure-led Executive of the Party remained invalid, stressing that the Commission did not recognise the LP’s March 2024 National Convention at which Abure was, purportedly, re-elected as chairman.

The Commission said that the LP’s convention violated the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act, stressing that as an electoral body, it only “engages with parties that have valid and subsisting leaderships.”

These were contained in a counter affidavit filed in response to the Labour Party’s suit, challenging its exclusion from INEC’s refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo States governorship elections.

INEC, therefore, said that it does not recognise Abure and other National Working Committee members of the Labour Party because their tenure expired in June 2024.

In a written address in support of the counter affidavit, INEC’s legal team, led by Tanko Inuwa, SAN, argued that the Labour Party’s suit is seeking declaratory reliefs, cannot be granted as a matter of course or based on mere admissions.

The Commission contended that the Labour Party must succeed on the strength of its case, even in the face of admissions.

The Commission, through its lawyers, averred that having failed to comply with the extant legal frameworks in conducting its national convention; the Labour Party does not have a valid leadership that INEC can engage.

INEC, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the suit, stressing that the Labour Party was not entitled to the reliefs being sought.