Former National Treasurer of the Labour Party, Oluchi Oparah, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for disqualifying candidates submitted by the Julius Abure-led faction from participating in the forthcoming August 16 bye-elections.

She described the electoral body’s action as one that “restored sanity and respect for the rule of law.”

In its final list of nominated candidates for the elections, INEC excluded all names submitted by Abure’s group, citing the April 4, 2025 Supreme Court ruling.

The commission said the judgment affirmed that Abure ceased to be the party’s National Chairman as of June 8, 2023, and that INEC did not monitor the primaries conducted under his leadership, rendering them invalid under the Electoral Act.

Oparah, known for her role in exposing alleged financial mismanagement during Abure’s tenure, hailed the development as a significant step forward for accountability and internal party democracy.

“INEC has finally done the right thing. Abure’s leadership expired last year. Any action taken by him since then, including organising primaries, is null and void. This is what the Supreme Court reinforced, and INEC is simply enforcing the law,” she said in a statement.

She further urged the public and party members to disregard narratives suggesting that the Labour Party was being unfairly targeted.

“Ignore any misleading narrative that suggests the Labour Party is being sidelined,” she stated. “It is the illegal faction that is being rightfully shut out.”

However, the Abure-led faction quickly issued a strong response, condemning INEC’s decision and labeling it an unconstitutional overreach into party affairs.

Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary of the Abure faction, argued that INEC had overstepped its legal mandate by interpreting a Supreme Court judgment and determining the legitimacy of a political party’s leadership.

“INEC is not a court of law. Its job is to conduct elections, not to act as a judge over political parties’ internal matters. The Supreme Court never ruled against Abure’s authority to lead the party,” Ifoh said in a statement.

He maintained that the Labour Party remains legally recognized and retains full rights to nominate candidates for elections. He also threatened legal action against INEC.

“INEC’s action is provocative and unacceptable. It will be challenged. No election should go on without Labour Party on the ballot,” he added.

Although INEC has yet to issue an official public statement, insiders at the commission confirmed that the decision was based on the legal guidance of the Supreme Court ruling and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

“No primaries were monitored under Mr. Abure. His tenure ended in June 2023. That’s the position of the law, and INEC cannot overlook that,” a senior INEC official said.

The Labour Party (LP), led by its National Chairman, Julius Abure, has issued a strong condemnation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for omitting its candidates from the upcoming bye-elections scheduled for August 16, 2025.

In a statement released on Saturday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the LP described INEC’s action as “unlawful, shocking, and a blatant misuse of authority.”

The party announced its intention to challenge the move through legal means.

Citing constitutional and electoral provisions, the statement emphasized the party’s legitimate right to sponsor candidates in all elections.

It read in part: “The party is also aware that the INEC has no powers to either stop it from sponsoring candidates nor cherry-pick elections where it deems fit for our party to field candidates. It is on record that no court in Nigeria, including the Supreme Court, has derecognised the present leadership of the Labour Party.”

The Labour Party also addressed the Supreme Court’s ruling from April 4, 2025, clarifying that it focused on jurisdiction rather than the core issue.

‘It is also a fact that the April 4, 2025, judgement of the Supreme Court ruled only on the lack of jurisdiction of the lower court and the Court of Appeal.

The Supreme Court did not rule on the substantive matter, as courts, including the Supreme Court, are barred from entertaining cases on the internal matters of any political party.’

“he Supreme Court, in its wisdom, ruled that parties should resolve their problems within the available mechanism as provided by their constitutions. At no point did the Supreme Court empower INEC to interfere with the internal matters of the political party. INEC, being a regulatory body, must limit itself to the provisions of the laws that instituted it.”

The party warned INEC against overreaching its mandate.

“INEC cannot stop political parties from fielding candidates in an election, provided the political parties abide by the requirements of the Electoral Acts.”

“We are by this statement asking INEC to enlist our duly nominated candidates for the August 16 bye-election without further delay, and also refrain from interfering with the internal matters of the Labour Party.”

LP further stressed that interpreting court rulings was outside INEC’s remit.

“The statement further stated that INEC cannot arrogate to itself the powers of the courts or give a different interpretation to a clear judgement of the apex court”.

It vowed to contest the exclusion if not corrected, warning of legal consequences.

” The actions of the INEC, if not redressed immediately, will be challenged. The Labour Party, as a responsible organisation, will do everything within the law to ensure that all efforts by INEC to intimidate, harass, and ridicule the Labour Party will be resisted.”

LP reiterated its commitment to the Nigerian electorate.

‘Labour Party has built a reputation in the last 23 years as a party for the masses, and we will not succumb to the renewed onslaught by some politicians using every available means to stultify our party’s progress. The Labour Party is not for sale, and any institution or commission making itself available to be used by politicians will have itself to blame.’

The party warned of the broader implications of excluding it from the elections.

‘We warn that it will be a waste of resources and precious time should INEC go ahead with the bye-election without the Labour Party on the ballot. It will indeed be catastrophic, and a colossal loss of scarce monetary resources should INEC have its way.’

Finally, the statement called for calm among supporters and urged vigilance.

‘We are also calling on Nigerians, particularly Labour Party members, to remain vigilant and to keep praying for the nation that someday, the electoral process in Nigeria will be gotten right and that some persons will be made to take responsibility for their actions and inactions while in office.”

“We are also calling on all our candidates to remain calm, as the party will do everything possible to ensure their names are uploaded for the August 16, 2025, bye-election and every other election in the future”, Abure assured.

A former Commissioner for Information in Plateau State, Yakubu Dati, has raised concerns over the pressure state governors face to attend private social functions such as weddings and funerals, a trend he says detracts from their governance duties.

Speaking on Sunrise, a Channels Television programme aired on Saturday, Dati noted that a segment of the public evaluates governors not by the development projects they execute, but by their presence at social events.

“Some people use governors’ attendance at weddings and burials to measure performance,” he said, highlighting the misplaced priorities of some constituents.

Despite this, Dati acknowledged that several governors are working diligently to provide basic infrastructure and services to citizens, especially in light of the economic difficulties currently facing the nation.

He urged the public to refocus attention on leadership performance in terms of policy delivery and public service, rather than ceremonial appearances.

Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has stated that any politician advocating to serve only a single term in office “needs psychiatric examination.”

He made the remarks during the Anambra South endorsement rally as he campaigned for his second term in office.

Governor Soludo challenged proponents of the single‑term idea, asking:

“Tell me where in the world a politician has only served one term.”

He emphasized that the Nigerian Constitution permits a maximum of two terms, not one, making the push for a single term unfounded and unnecessary even from a legal standpoint.