ABUJA, Nigeria — Julius Abure, the erstwhile Labour Party national chairman, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of undermining its leadership in a bid to destabilise the party, following the appointment of a 29-member caretaker committee backed by the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
In a statement issued Wednesday, September 18, 2024, by the Labour Party’s former National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party alleged that INEC is supporting efforts to seize control of the party through undemocratic means.
The crisis stems from a stakeholders’ meeting convened by Obi and Otti on September 4 in Umuahia, where the caretaker committee was appointed, a move contested by the current party leadership under Julius Abure.
“We are shocked by INEC’s sudden interest in our internal affairs,” Ifoh said. “This is a clear case of interference and an attempt to destabilize our party.”
Dispute Over Leadership Tenure
The conflict revolves around the expiration of the tenure of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in June 2024.
INEC has argued that the leadership under Abure is no longer valid, citing the failure of the commission to recognize the Labour Party’s national convention in Nnewi, held in March 2024.
The convention, which re-elected Abure as the party’s chairman, is now being contested by Obi and Otti, who did not attend the event and have since sought a leadership change.
INEC, in a counter affidavit, maintained that the March 2024 convention was not properly monitored and thus invalid, lending support to the Umuahia meeting that appointed Senator Esther Nenadi Usman as caretaker committee chair. Senator Darlington Nwokocha from Abia Central was appointed as secretary.
The Labour Party, however, insists that the Nnewi convention was valid, citing a Federal High Court ruling affirming the convention’s legitimacy.
The party claims that the crisis is being fueled by internal factions attempting to wrest power through INEC’s backing.
Accusations of Betrayal
The Labour Party’s leadership expressed disappointment with Obi and Otti, accusing them of turning against the party at a time when unity is critical.
The party referenced its role in defending both leaders during the contentious 2023 general election and criticized their current actions.
“We went through the entire judicial hurdles, dared the principalities and powers… Today, these leaders are now dancing ‘Gwo gwo gwo ngwo’ with us. What a shame, what a betrayal,” the statement read.
The party also took aim at INEC’s role in the 2023 election, accusing the electoral body of mishandling the process and arguing that Obi and Otti’s alignment with INEC now represents a stark contradiction.
“For these leaders, there is no qualms to leverage on the INEC’s standpoint of illegality to attempt to seize the leadership of the party,” the statement continued.
“Is it not paradoxical that some of these leaders… are now the ones quoting INEC and joining forces with it, just to victimize the leadership of the Labour Party?”
Legal Battle Looms
The Labour Party has filed a lawsuit challenging INEC’s exclusion of the party from preparatory meetings for the upcoming elections in Edo and Ondo states.
INEC’s response in court will likely shape the future of the party’s leadership and its role in Nigeria’s political landscape.
As the internal conflict deepens, stakeholders within the party remain divided over the path forward, with both sides preparing for a protracted legal and political battle.
