Election Commission Chairman standfast on being Labor Party Chair: Abure maintains, accuses Usman of disseminating misinformation
The Labour Party finds itself in a state of flux, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) no longer recognizing Julius Abure as its National Chairman. This change comes following a Supreme Court judgment on April 4, 2025, which affirmed Senator Nenadi Usman as the authentic chairman of the party [1].
The regulatory authorities, including INEC, have taken a firm stance against Abure's faction. According to the electoral commission, Abure's tenure expired in June 2023, and they have excluded his faction from official meetings, refusing to monitor their primaries, a crucial step for candidate validation [1][3].
The Federal High Court has also dismissed Abure’s case against INEC, reinforcing that his tenure is over and supporting INEC’s position [4]. Despite the Labour Party's official website highlighting Abure and his supporters, citing a Supreme Court ruling favourable to him, the court rulings overall favour Usman's leadership [2].
Recent fact-checking indicates INEC has not officially replaced Abure with Usman but acts in line with the Supreme Court judgment that supports Usman’s chairmanship [5].
However, the situation is not without controversy. Nenadi Usman and her followers have been accused of celebrating and publishing INEC's counter-affidavit, which the court never relied on [6]. The Usman-led faction has also been accused of wanting the Labour Party to die [7].
In response, Abure denies claims that INEC no longer recognises him as the head of the party. He accuses the Senator Nenadi Usman-led faction of misinterpreting court orders and spreading false narratives [8]. Abure also claims that the Federal High Court's decisions of August 15, 2025, were allegedly misinterpreted to suit a narrative [9].
Notably, the Federal High Court, on July 23, 2025, ordered INEC to accord exclusive recognition to Abure and Umar Farouk Ibrahim as the authentic leadership of the Labour Party [10]. However, the INEC counter-affidavit has been rejected by various courts, including the Supreme Court [11].
The Labour Party, under Abure's leadership, assures its members that the party remains intact. They urge INEC not to disobey a lawful order of the Court and not to be a party to efforts to preclude the Labour Party from participating in future democratic processes [12].
It is important to note that the Supreme Court did not say that Abure was not the National Chairman of the Labour Party, nor did it make any pronouncement on the Convention [13]. The court also ruled that issues of leadership are internal affairs of the party [14]. The court of Appeal also ruled against INEC regarding the counter-affidavit [15].
In the face of these internal disputes, the Labour Party calls on its members to remain peaceful. The party's future direction remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the leadership question is a matter of legal interpretation and court rulings, not a unilateral decision by any individual or faction.
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