A High Court sitting in Nasarawa State has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to recognize Barrister Julius Abure and Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim as the authentic National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party, respectively.
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The ruling, delivered on July 23, 2025, by Hon. Justice Mustapha A. Ramat in Suit No. NSD/LF.84/2024, also ordered INEC to grant the Abure-led leadership access codes to upload the names and particulars of their nominated candidates ahead of the August 16, 2025 bye-election and the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections.
The court granted an interlocutory injunction restraining INEC from dealing with any other faction of the party apart from those who emerged from the convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on March 27, 2024.
Despite the order, the Labour Party alleges that INEC has yet to publish the names of its candidates for the bye-election scheduled for Saturday and the FCT council elections slated for early 2026.
Reacting to the development, Labour Party National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, welcomed the court’s decision, describing it as “an order which will right the many wrongs meted to the authentic leadership of the party.”Ifoh expressed concern that the party’s candidates had been denied equal campaign opportunities compared to their counterparts from other political parties.
“As it stands now, our candidates, due to reasons not of theirs, were prevented from campaigning. This is clearly a systemic route orchestrated by INEC to perpetually prevent Labour Party and their candidates from favourably participating in elections,” Ifoh said.He cited a previous instance in Ondo State, where the party’s governorship candidate was granted access codes barely 24 hours before the election.The party has urged its candidates to remain resolute and called on members to mobilize support in the affected areas.The substantive case has been adjourned to September 22, 2025, for hearing.
