Nigeria’s Labour Party has disavowed a protest set to occur at the offices of the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), denouncing the event’s coordinators as unauthorized actors attempting to impersonate the party. The demonstration, slated for August 6, 2025, has sparked claims of political subterfuge amid ongoing tensions over leadership disputes and electoral processes.
In an official statement released by Ken Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the party’s Interim National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, the party explicitly denied any involvement in organizing the protest. Describing it as the work of “political impersonators,” the statement stressed that the event lacks official endorsement. “The organisers are unknown to the party’s leadership, and the action lacks approval,” it read, urging the public to disregard calls for participation. Authorities were further warned to treat attendees as “impostors” operating outside the party’s jurisdiction.
The rebuke coincides with recent electoral controversies. The party referenced INEC’s rejection of candidate lists purportedly submitted by Julius Abure, a former chairman whose leadership tenure was deemed invalid by a Supreme Court ruling in April 2025. The judgment affirmed that Abure’s authority expired in June 2023, a decision the Labour Party has leveraged to assert its current leadership’s legitimacy. INEC’s dismissal of the lists, described as “illegitimate” and tied to an “unlawful group,” was met with approval by the party, which urged the commission to instead publish candidates endorsed by its court-recognized leadership.
Calls for INEC to update its platforms to reflect the validated leadership structure were coupled with demands for law enforcement intervention. The party implored security agencies to arrest and prosecute those behind the planned protest, framing the event as an act of “mischief” threatening electoral integrity. “These individuals are not representatives of the Labour Party,” the statement emphasized, underscoring the potential legal repercussions for organizers.
The dispute highlights simmering internal divisions and broader challenges in Nigeria’s electoral governance. By distancing itself from the protest and reinforcing its adherence to judicial rulings, the Labour Party aims to project stability ahead of upcoming bye-elections and local council polls. Observers note the situation underscores the delicate balance between political legitimacy, institutional compliance, and public trust in democratic processes.
