ABUJA, Nigeria — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports that it has reinstated Julius Abure as National Chairman and Umar Farouk as Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), saying it has yet to take a position on the party’s ongoing leadership dispute.
In a statement issued on Thursday, May 8, 2025, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, described the reports circulating in the media and attributed to INEC’s website as “false and misleading.”
“Our attention has been drawn to some media reports claiming that the Commission has recognised certain persons as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP),” Oyekanmi said.
“The reports also inferred that the Commission has restored a particular individual as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), referring to the listings on the Commission’s official website.”
INEC clarified that while the names of LP officials were previously listed on its website, this was done in compliance with an earlier court order and not in response to the recent Supreme Court judgement.
“The names of the National Officers of the LP had previously been uploaded to our website following a court order, not related in any way to the latest judgement of the Supreme Court,” the statement said.
“In the same manner, the name of the National Secretary of the PDP on the same website was neither deleted nor reinstated.”
The electoral commission emphasised that it is still reviewing the Supreme Court ruling and will announce its decision at a later time.
“As a law-abiding institution, the Commission is carefully studying the judgement of the Supreme Court on the Labour Party and will communicate its decision to the public in due course,” Oyekanmi added.
The Labour Party has been mired in an internal leadership battle, with competing claims between the faction led by Julius Abure and a caretaker committee chaired by Nenadi Usman.
The crisis escalated to the courts, culminating in a recent ruling by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court.
In its judgement, the apex court held that the appellate court had no jurisdiction to affirm Mr Abure as party chairman, as leadership disputes are internal party affairs and thus not subject to judicial review.
The ruling has left INEC in a holding position as the Commission weighs its legal obligations in light of the court’s guidance on the limits of judicial intervention in party leadership matters.
