Abure’s tenure as LP chairman over – INEC insists

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit filed by the Labour Party (LP) challenging its exclusion from a refresher training for uploading party agents in the upcoming Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

In a counter affidavit, Ayuba Mohammed, from INEC’s Litigation and Prosecution Department, stated that the tenure of Julius Abure as LP’s National Chairman, along with the party’s National Executive Committee, expired in June 2024.

INEC argued that the Labour Party’s national convention, where Abure claimed re-election, was not monitored or recognized by the Commission and violated several legal frameworks, including the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.

INEC contended that, due to the absence of valid leadership within the LP, it could not engage with the party for the training.

The Commission’s legal team, led by Tanko Inuwa, emphasized that the LP’s suit, seeking declaratory reliefs, must be based on the strength of its case, which, they argued, had not been established.

INEC urged the court to dismiss the suit, asserting that the Labour Party was not entitled to the reliefs it sought.