The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sparked fresh controversy after omitting the Labour Party (LP) from its list of candidates for the 16 August 2025 bye elections, deepening the crisis within the divided opposition party.
The decision comes amid an ongoing leadership tussle between two factions, one led by Senator Nenadi Usman, backed by Peter Obi, and another by Julius Abure, both of whom claim legitimacy following a controversial Supreme Court ruling.
The court had declined to rule on the substantive dispute, citing lack of jurisdiction, but its vague interpretation left both camps in confusion.
In a statement on Saturday, the Abure-led faction condemned INEC’s move as “unlawful, surprising, and an abuse of power.” The party insisted that no court had derecognised its leadership and accused the electoral body of overstepping its mandate.
“As a registered political party in Nigeria, Labour Party is very much aware of its rights as specified in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2022 as amended,” the statement read. “INEC has no powers to either stop us from sponsoring candidates nor cherry-pick elections where it deems fit for our party to field candidates.”
The party argued that the Supreme Court’s 4 April 2025 judgment only addressed jurisdictional issues and did not empower INEC to interfere in its internal affairs. “At no point did the Supreme Court empower INEC to interfere with the internal matters of the political party,” the statement said. “INEC, being a regulatory body, must limit itself to the provisions of the laws that instituted it.”
The LP warned that it would legally challenge the omission, vowing to “ensure that all efforts by INEC to intimidate, harass, and ridicule the Labour Party will be resisted.” It also cautioned that excluding the party from the ballot would be “catastrophic and a colossal loss of scarce monetary resources,” insisting that any election held without its participation would be a “waste of resources and precious time.”
The statement further accused unnamed politicians of attempting to “stultify the party’s progress,” declaring, “Labour Party is not for sale, and any institution making itself available to be used by politicians will have itself to blame.”
The party urged its candidates and supporters to remain calm, pledging to “do everything possible” to ensure their inclusion in the upcoming polls. It also called on Nigerians to “remain vigilant” and pray for electoral reforms, adding, “Some persons must be made to take responsibility for their actions and inactions while in office.”
INEC has yet to respond to the allegations. However, the exclusion of the LP from the bye-elections raises fresh questions about the commission’s neutrality and the broader implications for Nigeria’s opposition politics.
The Labour Party, which gained significant traction in the 2023 general elections, now faces a critical test as its internal divisions and legal battles threaten its participation in future polls.
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