LP Faction Accuses INEC of Contempt Over Abure’s Presence at Consultative Meeting

The Nenadi Usman faction of the Labour Party (LP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of contempt of court for allowing Julius Abure, the factional chairman of the party, to attend its quarterly consultative meeting with political parties.

The meeting, held on Tuesday at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja, brought together leaders of all registered political parties. In a statement issued by Ken Asogwa, senior special adviser on media to Usman, the faction described Abure’s attendance as “a brazen act of impersonation” and “a clear breach of court orders.”

Asogwa alleged that the development showed “a disturbing pattern of complicity” within INEC, accusing some officials of undermining the commission’s integrity and “openly defying” subsisting court judgments. He cited the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025, ruling in Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025, which declared that Abure was no longer the national chairman of the Labour Party.

He added that the decision was reaffirmed by the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 15, 2025, which dismissed Abure’s request to be recognised as chairman. According to Asogwa, INEC itself had previously confirmed this position in a counter-affidavit dated August 13, 2025.

“INEC cannot depose under oath that Abure is no longer chairman and then turn around to accord him recognition,” he said. “Such conduct amounts to contempt of court and a grave desecration of the sanctity of our judicial system, particularly the pronouncements of the Supreme Court.”

Asogwa recalled that under former INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, Abure was reportedly asked to leave a similar consultative meeting in July 2024 due to the same legal issue. He expressed disappointment that the current leadership of INEC allowed what he described as “impunity” to prevail.

The Usman faction called on INEC to enforce all valid court judgments concerning the party’s leadership. “While the current INEC leadership may be transitional, it must remember that even a short tenure leaves a long record. Posterity will judge every action taken today,” Asogwa stated.

The Labour Party has been divided by a prolonged leadership crisis, with Abure and Usman leading rival factions. The dispute has deepened uncertainty within the opposition party as it prepares for the 2027 elections, with both sides claiming legitimacy and control over party affairs.

In April, the Supreme Court ruled that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to declare Abure as chairman, a decision that has since generated conflicting interpretations, with both factions claiming victory.