By Anifowoshe Oladipupo
A deepening leadership crisis within the Labour Party (LP), played out in Abuja on Tuesday as a faction led by Julius Abure staged a protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The group accused the electoral body of unlawfully omitting its candidates from the list for the upcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Area Council and National Assembly bye-elections.
Chanting slogans and wielding placards, the protesters demanded immediate rectification, insisting their candidates were duly nominated.
However, the party’s officially recognized leadership, headed by Interim National Chairman Alhaji Lamidi Apapa and recently reinforced by the emergence of Senator Nenadi Usman, disassociated itself from the demonstration.
In a statement, Usman’s office described the protesters as “impostors,” stating the protest was unauthorized and not representative of the party’s position.
The protest marks another flashpoint in the ongoing tussle for control of the LP.
The Usman-led faction backed by Abia State Governor Alex Otti maintains that Abure’s tenure ended in 2023, citing a Supreme Court judgment.
The Abure group, however, insists he remains the legitimate national chairman.
This internal dispute, which has resulted in the rejection of rival candidate lists, is threatening to undermine the party’s preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
