Labour Party Faction Disowns Planned Protest at INEC Headquarters

The Nenadi Usman-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has distanced itself from a planned protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) scheduled for Wednesday, August 6, 2025. In a statement issued by Ken Asogwa, senior special adviser on media to the LP caretaker committee chairperson, the faction described the protest as unauthorised and not recognised by the party’s legitimate leadership.

According to the statement, the protest is being promoted by individuals who do not have the backing or approval of the Labour Party. “The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to an invitation circulating in certain quarters regarding a purported protest scheduled to hold tomorrow… We wish to categorically state that the said protest is not sanctioned by the Labour Party,” the statement read. It further warned the public that anyone participating in or promoting the protest is acting without the party’s consent and should be regarded as an impostor.

Usman called on security agencies to take action against those behind the protest, labelling them as “political impersonators and mischief-makers.” She also commended INEC for excluding the list of candidates submitted by Julius Abure, the factional chairman of the party, from the upcoming bye-elections set for August 16. Usman welcomed the decision, stating it was a relief and expressed confidence that INEC would publish the authentic list of candidates submitted by what she described as the party’s lawful leadership.

She urged INEC to continue ignoring the efforts of individuals whose leadership tenures, she noted, had expired on June 8, 2023, a position she said was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in its ruling on April 4, 2025. Usman further appealed to INEC to update its official portal and other platforms to reflect the correct leadership of the Labour Party as recognised by the court.

Meanwhile, Kennedy Ahanotu, national youth leader of the Abure-led faction, has accused INEC of meddling in the party’s internal affairs. Ahanotu alleged that since the 2023 general election, the electoral commission has consistently acted against the interests of the Labour Party. He also criticised INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu for what he described as direct engagement with elected LP candidates rather than the party’s national leadership structure.