Excluding LP candidates from by-election’ll lead to nullification – Abure

From Sola Ojo, Abuja

The Julius Abure-led Labour Party (LP), yesterday, warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it would seek to nullify the August 16 bye-election if its candidates’ names and party logo were excluded from the ballot.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party accused INEC of acting in ways that undermine democracy, alleging that the commission was working for anti-democratic interests.

The party urged Nigerians to prevail on the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to respect the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, insisting that the law provides remedies for any party excluded from an election.

“INEC is gambling with the country’s huge resources on this by-election.

“We will not take lightly any conduct intended to rubbish our reputation,” Ifoh threatened.

This faction held firmly that the April 4, 2025 Supreme Court ruling affirmed that leadership disputes are an internal party matter, and cited its March 27, 2024 convention in Nnewi that produced Abure as its leader.

The party called on the INEC to comply with the court’s decision and recognise its leadership ahead of the poll. A few days ago, the faction of Senator Nenadi Usman also accused the electoral umpire of double standards for failing to upload its candidates on the portal and for refusing to recognise her as the party’s authentic interim chairman.