“We’re Being Punished by INEC for Defending Obi, Otti in 2023, Yet They Betrayed Us” – Abure

The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of targeting the party for punitive actions, citing the party’s defense of its 2023 Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, during the general elections. The allegations were made public during a media briefing by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, at the Labour Party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.

During the briefing, Ifoh claimed that Peter Obi and Alex Otti had betrayed the Labour Party by aligning with INEC, the very institution they accused of failing Nigerians in the 2023 elections. He said, “The Labour Party finds it important to inform the public about ongoing developments in the party, particularly the efforts of some leaders, including Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti, to wrest control of the party’s leadership, using INEC as their platform.”

According to Ifoh, the leaders convened an illegitimate stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, Abia State, where they selected a 29-member caretaker committee to head their faction. He further explained that Obi and Otti wrote to INEC on September 6, 2024, informing the commission about a supposed leadership crisis within the party. They justified their actions based on an INEC claim that the tenure of the current Labour Party leadership had expired in June 2024, and the commission did not recognize the party’s March 2024 National Convention.

The dispute deepened when INEC, in a counter-affidavit, rejected the leadership of Julius Abure, stating that the commission did not monitor the Labour Party’s March 2024 convention, which saw Abure re-elected as chairman.

Ifoh expressed disappointment at Obi and Otti’s involvement, noting that the party is currently facing challenges due to its unwavering support for both leaders during the elections. He reminded Nigerians that the Labour Party took extraordinary measures to accommodate these leaders when they were denied opportunities in their former political parties. He stated, “Many of those who are in power today owe their positions to the sacrifices made by the Labour Party during the 2023 elections.”

The Labour Party spokesperson also criticized INEC’s handling of the 2023 general elections, accusing the commission of undermining the will of the people. He questioned the motives of Obi and Otti, who, despite being victims of INEC’s alleged electoral failures in 2023, are now aligning themselves with the commission against the party leadership.

Ifoh concluded by emphasizing that while the party is not opposed to leadership changes, these should only occur through legitimate means. He reminded everyone that the current National Working Committee (NWC) is the result of a valid convention, and a new executive can only be elected after the next convention in 2028.