The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has described as strange and unacceptable the removal of the names of its national executives, led by Julius Abure, from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, insisting that the development will not weaken the party ahead of the 2027 general election.
The party also reaffirmed its determination to challenge the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, expressing confidence that the ruling would be overturned at the appellate court.
In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party urged Nigerians to resist what it described as the strangulation and monetisation of democracy by a few self-serving political actors. He warned that the country risks sliding into a deeper democratic crisis if unchecked political ambitions continue to undermine due process and party democracy.
Ifoh cautioned those celebrating the court ruling to reflect deeply, noting that similar applause for injustice in the past eventually led to abuse of power by political leaders. According to him, beneficiaries of such actions often become victims when the same impunity turns against them.
He assured party members that the Labour Party remains resolute and advised them to remain calm while the legal process runs its course. Ifoh stated that the party would continue its struggle to free itself from godfatherism and arbitrary control.
He emphasized that the Labour Party is founded on the principles of social democracy, which reject the concentration of power in the hands of one individual. He argued that it is contrary to the party’s ideology for a single person to appoint officials across all levels of the party structure, describing such actions as the height of impunity.
Ifoh expressed confidence that the appellate court would quash the judgment, adding that the celebration by some party figures over their appearance on the INEC portal would be short-lived. He further maintained that the caretaker committee was constituted without due process, in violation of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
