The Labour Party (LP) has strongly condemned the removal of the names of its Abure-led national executive from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, describing the action as “strange, unacceptable and troubling for Nigeria’s democracy.”
In a statement issued on Saturday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party said neither the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja nor INEC’s subsequent update would derail its preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The party insisted it remains confident that the ruling of the lower court would be overturned at the Court of Appeal, stressing that the controversy would not weaken its resolve or organisational strength.
Ifoh called on Nigerians to resist what he described as the “strangulation and monetisation of democracy by a few power-drunk politicians,” warning that unchecked political impunity could push the country toward instability.
“Some persons applauding this impunity should reflect deeply,” he said, noting that similar injustices in the past were once celebrated until they eventually harmed their beneficiaries. He urged Labour Party members nationwide to remain calm, assuring them that the party would continue its internal struggle against what he described as godfatherism.
Reaffirming the party’s ideological stance, Ifoh said the Labour Party is founded on social democratic principles, which reject the concentration of power in the hands of a single individual. He criticised what he described as the unilateral appointment of party officials from the national to ward levels, calling it a violation of both the party’s constitution and democratic norms.
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The Labour Party also dismissed the emergence of a caretaker committee, arguing that it failed to follow due process as required by the party constitution and the Electoral Act, including the provision of proper notice.
Ifoh further described celebrations by Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Nenadi Usman, and their allies over the appearance of their names on the INEC portal as “short-lived,” warning that the outcome of the appeal could dramatically reverse the situation.
The statement concluded by reiterating the party’s belief that justice would prevail at the appellate court and that the Labour Party remains focused on building a credible alternative platform ahead of 2027.