The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberately punishing the party for its role in supporting its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, during the 2023 general elections.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, alleged that both Peter Obi and Alex Otti have since betrayed the Labour Party, siding with INEC despite the agency’s controversial role in the 2023 elections.
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Ifoh pointed out that Obi and Otti had recently participated in an “illegal stakeholders’ meeting” where they allegedly attempted to take control of the party by appointing a caretaker committee.
Ifoh stated, “The Labour Party finds it necessary to inform the public about recent developments, particularly the efforts of leaders like Peter Obi and Alex Otti to seize the leadership of the party, using INEC to advance their agenda.”
He explained that this move came after INEC argued that the current leadership, led by Julius Abure, had an expired tenure and that the March 2024 National Convention, which re-elected Abure, was not recognized by the commission.
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Ifoh criticized the former presidential candidate and governor for turning their backs on the Labour Party, despite the support they received during the elections, stating that the party “bent over backward” to accommodate them when they were seeking political positions.
He expressed disappointment that the leaders were now aligned with INEC, the same institution that, according to him, mismanaged the electoral process in 2023.
The faction remains defiant, asserting that the current leadership will only be replaced through a valid convention in 2028 and accusing those seeking to remove Abure of betraying the party’s core values.
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Ifoh urged Obi and Otti to reconsider their actions, reminding them of the challenges the party faced while defending their candidacies and warning that INEC remains untrustworthy for future elections.
