The Labour Party has firmly dissociated itself from a protest scheduled to take place at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters on Wednesday, calling the organisers “political impersonators” and warning that they are acting without the party’s approval.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Ken Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Interim National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, the party clarified that the protest was not authorised and should not be linked to its official structure.
“We wish to categorically state that the said protest is not sanctioned by the Labour Party,” the statement read. “The organisers are unknown to the party’s leadership, and the action lacks the approval and backing of the party.”
The party described those behind the protest as “impostors” seeking to mislead the public and disrupt the political atmosphere. It urged members of the public and security agencies to treat them as such.
“As far as the Labour Party is concerned, anyone participating in or promoting this protest is doing so without our consent and should be regarded as an impostor,” the statement added.
This development follows recent tensions within the party over the submission of candidates’ lists for upcoming national bye-elections and local council polls. INEC had rejected a list submitted by the faction loyal to former chairman Julius Abure. According to the party, the electoral body’s decision to reject that list aligns with a Supreme Court ruling delivered on 4 April 2025, which declared the expiration of Abure’s tenure effective from 8 June 2023.
“The Labour Party received that decision with relief, knowing that INEC, as a responsible electoral umpire, would eventually proceed to accept and publish the authentic list submitted by the current, lawful leadership of the party,” Asogwa stated.
The party also appealed to INEC to update its official platforms to reflect the court-recognised leadership and to make public the legitimate list of candidates submitted by the current national executives.
In a final note, the Labour Party called on law enforcement to intervene.
“The persons planning to stage a protest at INEC headquarters are not representatives of the Labour Party,” the statement said. “They are political impersonators and mischief-makers and should be treated as such. We call for their immediate arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
