A high-level delegation from the Labour Party (LP), led by Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, and Dr. Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State, visited the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Wednesday. The delegation also included Olumide Akpata, the LP candidate for the 2024 Edo Governorship election, and Senator Nenadi Usman, Chairman of the Party Caretaker Committee.
They were received by INEC’s Acting Chairman, Sam Olumekun, and other National Commissioners. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, was absent as he was attending the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) meeting in Gambia, which sparked rumors about his potential dismissal by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. However, INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, clarified that Olumekun was acting as the INEC Chairman.
During the visit, Governor Otti presented a Certified True Copy of the recent Supreme Court judgment regarding the leadership of the Labour Party. The discussion focused on fostering mutual understanding and clarifying the LP’s current structure. Both parties also explored ways to enhance collaboration and strengthen democratic values.
Olumekun reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to neutrality, transparency, and upholding the rule of law in fulfilling its constitutional duties.
The Supreme Court had recently set aside the Court of Appeal’s decision that had recognized Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party. The Court ruled that the leadership issue was an internal matter for the party, beyond the jurisdiction of the courts. The judgment allowed an appeal filed by Senator Nenadi Usman and dismissed the Abure faction’s cross-appeal.
In response, Julius Abure stated that the Supreme Court ruling emphasized that lower courts should not have intervened in the party’s leadership matters, and it struck out Usman’s appeal and the LP suit at the trial court. Both factions of the party have since interpreted the ruling in ways that support their respective leadership claims.
