The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of targeting it for punishment over its defense of the party’s Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, during the 2023 elections.
At a media briefing held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, the factional National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, criticized Obi and Otti for allegedly betraying the party’s principles by aligning with INEC. Ifoh claimed that Obi and Otti were using INEC to undermine the current leadership of the party, citing an alleged illegal stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia that led to the formation of a caretaker committee.
Ifoh further accused INEC of asserting that the current executives’ tenure had expired, which was purportedly used to justify the appointment of the caretaker committee. The party had previously sued INEC, challenging its exclusion from refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
INEC, in a counter-affidavit, argued that the Labour Party’s leadership, including Julius Abure, was no longer valid, and did not recognize the March 2024 National Convention that re-elected Abure.